Xabi Alonso criticizes Simeone for clash with Vinícius in Super Cup

Xabi Alonso Criticizes Simeone for Confrontation with Vinícius Júnior

Xabi Alonso expressed his disapproval of Diego Simeone’s behavior in the recent Spanish Super Cup match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, where the player Vinícius Júnior was the focus of attention. The match, which ended with a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid, saw Alonso point out that Simeone’s actions “cross a line” in terms of respect. Federico Valverde opened the scoring for Real Madrid with a free kick in the second minute, followed by a goal by Rodrygo in the second half. Alexander Sørloth scored for Atlético, but it was not enough to change the result. Television images showed Simeone, allegedly, telling Vinícius that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez “was going to get rid of him” during the match.

“I didn’t like it,” Alonso said when asked about Simeone’s behavior. “I saw that the ‘Cholo’ said something to him. For me, those things cross a line in terms of respect for a colleague… not everything goes.”

Xabi Alonso

Alonso added that he tries to be respectful of rival players and that he did not like what he heard from Simeone, considering that his words were not a good example of sportsmanship. Both Simeone and Vinícius received yellow cards after exchanging words upon leaving the field. Additionally, Alonso confirmed that Kylian Mbappé, who missed the semi-final due to a knee sprain, would travel to Jeddah on Friday for Sunday’s final.

“Kylian travels tomorrow,” Alonso said. “He’s much better, he’s trained, the sensations are good.”

Xabi Alonso

Simeone did not deny having said that Real Madrid planned to “get rid” of Vinícius and refused to give more details about the incident.

“I have nothing to say,” commented the Atlético coach. “I always said, since I was a player: things that happen on the field stay on the field. I have nothing more to say.

Diego Simeone

Simeone also had exchanges with Dani Carvajal and Valverde.

“There are codes between soccer players, coaches,” Valverde said. “It’s part of soccer. It’s a derby. The important thing is that it stays on the field. Soccer has to have that spark.”

Federico Valverde

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois described Valverde’s goal as “straight out of a cartoon.”