Diego Simeone apologizes to Florentino Pérez and Vinícius Júnior for his controversial gesture in the Super Cup

Diego Simeone, head coach of Atlético de Madrid, issued a public apology on Monday to both Florentino Pérez and Vinícius Júnior following the controversial incident that took place during the semi-final of the Supercopa de España, acknowledging that his behavior “was not appropriate.”

“I would like to apologize to Mr. Florentino and also to Mr. Vinícius for the episode that was seen. Obviously, it is not right on my part to put myself in that position, and I accept that I was not right,” the Argentine coach said during a press conference after the morning training session.

The controversy arose after a video circulated by Movistar, in which, according to the broadcaster’s lip-reading, Simeone appeared to tell Vinícius: “Florentino is going to get rid of you, remember. He’s going to get rid of you,” while the Brazilian was on the pitch.

When asked again about the incident, Simeone clarified his stance, stressing that it was an apology, not a request for forgiveness, and avoided going further into the matter.

“I have nothing more to add,” he replied when questioned about comments made by Xabi Alonso, who suggested that the Argentine coach had not shown good sportsmanship.

Sporting analysis after the Super Cup

On the football side, Simeone was blunt in his assessment of the semi-final against Real Madrid:
“The team that wins is the one that deserves to advance. They won and deserved to go through,” he stated.

He also commented on the final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, highlighting the current form of the Blaugrana side and the work of their coach, Hansi Flick.

“Barcelona are in a very good moment, with great players, a coach with very clear ideas, and a team that follows a well-defined playing philosophy. The results and the trophies they are winning reflect that,” Simeone concluded.

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