Atletico Madrid have vented their fury at their Champions League exit, criticising both Arsenal's players and the refereeing team at the Emirates Stadium, according to reports in Spain. Diego Simeone's side were eliminated from the tournament amid a tense atmosphere in north London, with the Argentine manager's anger boiling over to the extent that he pushed Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta at full-time.
Behind-the-Scenes Anger
Despite maintaining a cooler head in his post-match press conference, claiming he did not want to give 'excuses' for the 1-0 defeat, sources indicate a different story behind the scenes. Spanish publication AS reports that the club has felt aggrieved since arriving on English soil. The players and coaching staff were greeted by a volley of fireworks from Arsenal fans outside the team hotel, prompting Atletico to consider lodging a complaint with UEFA.
Refereeing Controversy
Atletico were already uneasy after the confirmation of UEFA's officiating team. The appointment of Daniel Siebert as referee and Bastian Dankert as VAR official sparked outrage, as Siebert had overseen three Atletico matches against English teams without a win, and Dankert had presided over their last two Champions League exits.
The club also felt that Arsenal employed 'underhand tactics' during the team's journey to the Emirates, with no escort amid wild scenes from home fans outside the stadium. Player behaviour was also criticised, with Gabriel Martinelli appearing to delay a restart by throwing the ball into the crowd, only for substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to boot it away when returned.
Penalty Appeals Ignored
Atletico believe three penalty shouts were overlooked. The first involved Riccardo Calafiori pushing Giuliano Simeone in the box, but a linesman flagged for offside and VAR did not review the incident. Simeone Jr. expressed his dissatisfaction by posting images of the challenge on Instagram, showing his run starting from his own half. The younger Simeone was also seemingly touched by Gabriel while attempting a shot, with the challenge going unnoticed by VAR.
The camp was especially unhappy with the refusal to award a penalty after Calafiori stepped on Antoine Griezmann's foot following a shot saved by David Raya. Instead, a foul was given against Arsenal for a challenge by Marc Pubill in the build-up.
Simeone's Response
'I'm not going to dwell on something as simple and easy as the play involving Griezmann,' Simeone said after the match. 'It's very obvious... I'm not going to dwell on it because that would be making excuses, and I don't want to make excuses for anything. We continue with our work, without getting bogged down in a detail of something that's so obvious. When the players give their all, when they compete, when we want to win, it's just not enough.'
Rather than criticise the officiating at length, Simeone displayed his unhappiness by walking over the Arsenal badge on the ground as he headed down the tunnel, an act for which he had criticised Ben White the previous week.
Arteta Praises Officials
In contrast, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had nothing but praise for the referees as he celebrated booking Arsenal's first Champions League final since 2006. 'I thought it was very good,' Arteta said. 'There was nothing to report.'
