During the Spanish Super Cup Madrid Derby, a notable incident unfolded on the touchline. Broadcast footage clearly captured Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone engaging in a heated verbal exchange with Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during the match.
The semi-final was held at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Movistar’s cameras picked up Simeone shouting at Vinícius from the sideline: “Florentino will drive you away. Mark what I’m telling you today.” Faced with this psychological tactic, Vinícius did not respond directly on camera initially, but the rivalry between the two was far from over. Vinícius repeatedly sought eye contact with Simeone in the subsequent stages of the game, attempting to hit back.
Commentators noted on the broadcast that Vinícius would say something to Simeone every time he surged forward to join the attack, and Simeone would immediately retort when Vinícius tracked back on defense. While the exact words Vinícius used remain unknown, this ongoing war of words lasted for a significant portion of the match.
Sources reported that the friction between the two was not limited to words. Early in the game, Simeone and Vinícius were operating along the same touchline and had a physical altercation at one point. Vinícius also stepped forward to confront the Atlético manager,prompting fourth official García-Verdura to step in and intervene.
Later on, Simeone expressed his dissatisfaction to the fourth official over Vinícius’s actions on the sideline and was told to calm down. But shortly after, Vinícius shouted in Simeone’s direction again, and the Atlético manager immediately complained to the fourth official once more, trying to put an end to the verbal spat.
As the game progressed, both sides gradually refocused on the pitch. A detail just before halftime also drew attention: on his way back to the dressing room, Simeone stopped Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, pointed to the touchline, and explained the friction that had occurred between him and Vinícius moments earlier.
