Diego Simeone deliberately steps on Arsenal crest after Champions League exit

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Diego Simeone appeared to deliberately step on the Arsenal crest in the Emirates Stadium tunnel following Atletico Madrid’s Champions League semi-final defeat, just days after criticizing Ben White for a similar act in Spain.

The 56-year-old Atletico boss was caught on fan-filmed footage making what appeared to be a deliberate beeline for the Arsenal badge in the tunnel area. Unlike other members of his coaching staff who walked around the crest or avoided it entirely, Simeone stepped directly on it with his left foot while looking down and holding his tie.

The incident comes barely a week after Simeone took exception to White walking on Atletico’s crest following the first leg in Madrid. On that occasion, the Arsenal defender’s actions sparked a confrontation, with Simeone’s son Giuliano initially approaching White before the Atletico manager intervened, repeatedly patting the England international on the back during an ongoing conversation.

The heated exchange in Spain required intervention from other players and staff to diffuse the situation, with White clearly unimpressed by Simeone’s involvement in the matter.

Contrasting responses

However, Simeone’s actions at Emirates Stadium went largely unnoticed by Arsenal staff, creating no immediate scene. The footage shows other Atletico personnel, including at least two staff members in Spanish club-branded clothing, deliberately walking around the left side of the tunnel to avoid the crest.

Several Atletico players also appeared to step around the badge, though Jose Maria Gimenez walked over it while beside Julian Alvarez, seemingly as part of their normal walking formation rather than a deliberate act.

Despite the apparent pettiness of his tunnel behavior, Simeone was gracious in his post-match comments, acknowledging Arsenal deserved their place in the Champions League final.

“If the club got knocked out, it’s because their opponents deserved to get through,” according to Football London. “They took their chances, including their big chance in the first half, and they deserved to get through.”

The Atletico boss also praised Mikel Arteta’s work at Arsenal, saying: “I think Mikel Arteta has done an incredible job at Arsenal. He’s been trying to get to this point for a long time, to reach the Champions League final and to win the league.”

Arsenal will now prepare for the Champions League final in Budapest, having eliminated one of European football’s most defensively astute sides across two legs.