"THEY’RE GOING TO KICK YOU OUT"—DIEGO SIMEONE’S SHOCKING WORDS TO VINICIUS JUNIOR REVEALED
Xabi Alonso’s Madrid edge Atletico in a heated derby. Discover what Simeone said to Vinicius and why Alonso refused to shake hands.
Vinicius Junior and Diego Simeone went head-to-head in a fierce shouting match as Real Madrid edged past Atletico Madrid to book a spot in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The game kicked off with a bang—Federico Valverde blasted in a stunning free kick just two minutes after the whistle. That set the tone for a semi-final that was thrilling and, honestly, pretty heated in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
After halftime, Valverde turned playmaker. He slipped the ball to Rodrygo, who coolly slid it past Jan Oblak to double Madrid’s lead. But Atletico refused to roll over. Alexander Sorloth pulled one back for them almost immediately, setting up a tense finish. Still, Xabi Alonso’s team held their ground and saw out a 2-1 win, setting up a Clasico showdown with Barcelona in the final.
This wasn’t just any derby. Both teams went at each other from the first minute to the last, and tempers flared more than once. The biggest flashpoint came in the first half, when Vinicius and Simeone nearly got physical on the touchline. Cameras caught both men yelling and waving their arms at each other. Fans couldn’t hear the words, but the venom was obvious.
Later, Spanish TV channel Movistar picked up Simeone’s side of the argument. He didn’t hold back, taunting Vinicius: “Florentino Perez is going to kick you out, remember that! They’re going to kick you out; remember what I’m telling you.”
Things boiled over again late on, right after Vinicius left the pitch for Arda Guler. Suddenly, both benches emptied as players and staff clashed in front of the dugouts. Simeone seemed to spark it, yelling “Listen to the people!” at Vinicius and pointing toward the boos echoing around King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.
All of this came as rumours swirled about Vinicius’ future at Madrid. He hasn’t scored in his last 15 matches, and stories keep popping up about a move to Chelsea or even Saudi Arabia. You can tell he’s unsettled.
After the final whistle, Alonso didn’t even bother shaking Simeone’s hand. In his press conference, he called out Simeone for crossing the line. “I heard what Simeone said to Vini, and I didn’t like it,” Alonso told reporters. “You can’t talk like that; some things go too far.”
Before the game, Jude Bellingham backed his teammate. Vinicius has been dealing with whistles from his own fans during a rough patch in front of the goal. Bellingham said, “I can only speak from my perspective. Vinicius is under a huge amount of pressure, and everything he does on the pitch comes from pure emotion. People forget he’s human. I think that’s why he’s struggled in front of the goal. For me, he’s electric—he can create something out of nothing. Goals aren’t the whole story. He’s set up a lot, but yeah, he must find his best form again. You’ve got to look at the whole picture.”
THE ARBELOA STANCE: WHY REAL MADRID’S COACH DEMANDS A HISTORIC PRECEDENT FOR VINICIUS JR
Action needed: Discover why Alvaro Arbeloa is challenging UEFA to punish Gianluca Prestianni and support Vinicius Jr. in Madrid.
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa wants to see UEFA back up its anti-racism talk with real action after forward Vinicius Jr said he was racially abused during last week’s Champions League match in Lisbon.
The incident happened during the first leg of the knockout round against Benfica. Vinicius, who scored the game’s only goal, says Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni targeted him with racist abuse soon after he found the net.
Prestianni, a 20-year-old winger from Argentina, denies it. Still, UEFA hit him with a one-game provisional suspension, so he’ll miss the return leg in Madrid on Wednesday.
“This is a big chance to actually move the fight against racism forward,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday. “UEFA’s always talked a good game about this issue, but now they can show they mean it. I hope they don’t just stick to slogans and banners this time.”
Vinicius, 25, picked up a yellow card for celebrating his goal in front of Benfica’s fans. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho later accused him of being disrespectful and stirring up the crowd.
But Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois pushed back. He said Vinicius’s celebration was nothing out of the ordinary and that it never justifies racist abuse.
“Mourinho’s going to defend his club and his player; that’s normal,” Courtois said. “What bothers me is blaming Vini’s celebration. He didn’t do anything wrong. Opponents celebrate in front of us all the time, especially when they score. It happens, and we move on. There’s no excuse for racism, period.”
Arbeloa called Vinicius a “fighter” and said he’s sure the Brazilian will prove himself on the pitch at the Bernabeu.
“Vini Junior has always had guts and personality,” Arbeloa said. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone else would handle what he’s faced. He’s always stood tall, and that’s just how he is. He’ll show up tomorrow ready to fight, ready to show he’s one of the world’s best.”
The first match was stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius told the referee what happened, and Real Madrid’s players walked off the field for a bit. There were also reports of racist gestures from fans in the stands at Benfica’s stadium. UEFA says Prestianni could face more punishment once their ethics inspector finishes a full investigation.
On the Benfica side, club president Rui Costa stood by Prestianni and confirmed they’re appealing the suspension.
“I wasn’t on the pitch to hear what was said, but you can imagine how heated things get,” Costa told reporters at Lisbon airport. “We trust our player. He’s being labelled a racist, and I can promise you he’s nothing of the sort. That's why we have faith in him.”
Mourinho, who’s been criticised for his comments, won’t speak at the usual pre-match press conference.
Costa added, “We’ve appealed because nothing’s been proven, so there’s no real reason Prestianni should miss this game.”
THE PAMPLONA CURSE: OSASUNA SECURES FIRST HOME WIN OVER REAL MADRID SINCE JANUARY 2011
Real Madrid's lead is at risk! Discover how Osasuna stunned the leaders 2-1 and analyse Arbeloa's honest post-match reaction.
Álvaro Arbeloa didn’t hide his frustration after Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday. The defeat wasn’t just a bump; it let points slip away in the LaLiga title race. “We can play much better,” he admitted.
Osasuna struck first. Ante Budimir scored from the penalty spot before halftime at El Sadar. Madrid looked flat for most of the match, but Vinícius Júnior pulled them level in the 73rd minute with his fifth goal in just four games. Even then, the comeback didn’t last. In the very last minute, Raúl García pulled off a brilliant solo goal, slicing through defenders and beating Thibaut Courtois. The flag went up for offside, but after a VAR check, the goal stood. That gave Osasuna their first home win over Madrid in 15 years.
Arbeloa summed it up simply: “It wasn’t a good game for us.” He didn’t make excuses, but he did mention the tough schedule. “It’s not easy playing midweek and then again on Sunday, but that’s what’s expected here. This is Real Madrid. We knew coming here wouldn’t be easy.”
Madrid had arrived in Pamplona on a hot streak of four straight wins against Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Real Sociedad, and Benfica. Even so, Arbeloa saw clear problems: “Nobody wants to lose, obviously. But it’s a long season; there’s still a lot to play. In the first half, we controlled things, but we played too slowly. We have to move the ball quicker.”
He pointed out that Madrid’s attack got too predictable. “We’re doing a lot down the left, but we need to use the other side too. If we don’t, we’re too easy to defend.”
Looking back at their midweek win over Benfica, Arbeloa knew they fell short this time. “We did well last Tuesday, but today it wasn’t so easy. We’ve got a lot to improve. When we’re not at 100%, any team can beat us. We know that.”
Arbeloa also addressed questions about Kylian Mbappé, who’s been dealing with a knee issue. “He rested last week and didn’t play against La Real,” Arbeloa said. “When we think he’s not ready, we won’t risk him. That’s a decision we make together with the doctors and Kylian himself. But he didn’t play last week.”
For Osasuna, the win meant everything. Raúl García, the match-winner, was still buzzing after the final whistle. “It’s an incredible feeling,” he told DAZN. “We hadn’t beaten Madrid here for 15 years. The team played great. That goal – it’s a move I use a lot. I’ve scored a few like that in the second division.”
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