Atletico Madrid decided to go on the attack. The red and white club issued a strong statement on social media after images of Diego Pablo Simeone confronting Vinicius Junior in the Arabian Derby went viral. The entity harshly criticized what they saw as a biased analysis of the incident, which focused on the Brazilian’s previous provocation rather than just the coach’s reaction.
Criticism of the media’s “modus operandi”
“It’s curious how much time some spend analyzing the reaction… and how little time is spent clarifying the provocation that prompted such a reaction,” the club said via a tweet that has already sparked controversy. With these words, Atletico condemned the circulation of a clip of Simeone warning Vinicius about his future at the white club, while ignoring the image that sparked outrage: the striker’s gesture to the bench after a penalty kick.
Full support to the coach
At the Met office, they insist Simeone’s actions were a direct response to Vinicius’ attitude. According to club sources, “Cholo” simply condemned the way the players spoke to them. Atletico did not hide their dissatisfaction with what they called the “classic” handling of information and reiterated that their coach acted in a way that defended the respect of the institution in the face of provocation from rivals.
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