Liverpool Fan Involved in Diego Simeone Incident Makes Serious Allegation About Atletico Coach

The Liverpool fan who was involved in a heated clash with Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has given his side of the story.

A furious Simeone was held back by stewards during Wednesday's Champions League clash between Liverpool and Atletico as the Argentine could be seen shouting and gesturing towards a member of the crowd.

The incident occurred shortly after Virgil van Dijk scored a 92nd-minute winner for Arne Slot's side, who had let a two-goal lead slip following a second-half brace from Atletico's Marcos Llorente.

Speaking after the full-time whistle, Simeone claimed he had been “insulted for 90 minutes" by fans. "They always talk about care, about respect, but they insult you from the crowd all game," he said.

"I can't say anything back because I'm the coach," added Simeone. "My reaction is not justifiable. But after 90 minutes of insults it's not easy."

Now, the Liverpool fan who was at the centre of the incident, Jonny Poulter, has spoken out in a minute-long video, in which he accuses a member of the Atletico coaching staff of spitting at him.

"Something I want to get off my chest here in regards to what happened last night with Simeone, and I think he's a bit of a coward," he began.

"When he went in and done his press conference after the game, the Spanish media has asked him what was said, if it was racist, if it was regarding the Falklands War and all this rubbish, right? There was nothing racist said by me or anyone else. There was never a mention of the Falklands War by me or anyone else.

"But the fact that he was asked it, and he didn't answer the question, and he just got up and walked out, has left it open for speculation for the world.

"I've had messages on every platform, I don't know how many, of people saying, 'Oh what did he say, what did you say'. I never said nothing apart from, 'Hey, hey, f*** off,' we've won, basically, as you do.

"Um, but that's what he done to us when they scored the equaliser. He and his assistant manager, giving it in front of us, and obviously he was getting called a s***house or whatever else."

Poulter added: "And his assistant manager then came over and spat at me.”

Diego Simeone gives his take on the incident at Anfield

Asked about the insults in his post-match media duties, Simeone said: “We are in a place where we don’t have a right to reply or react and it is never good when we react as managers.

"But if there are comments against us, racism or insults, we can get angry or fight back so when we are getting insulted all the game, when they scored the third goal, he turned round and insulted me. I am a person, I am human.”

Simeone did not specify the comments were racist. “I am not going to get into the exact nature of the insults. I don’t want to get involved in that discussion," he added.

"I have got to stay in my place. I know what went on behind the manager’s bench. I can’t solve society’s problems in one press conference. I have to live with it.”

Before posting the video, Liverpool fan Poulter responded to the incident on Thursday morning, as he reposted a clip of his clash with Simeone alongside a comment that read: "Do I get the assist?"

He also directly called out Simeone on social platform X, mentioning him in a post which included a GIF of The Office character David Brent and his trademark catchphrase: "Ooh, you're hard."

SPORTbible has reached out to Atletico Madrid for comment.