Overview
- Diego Simeone issued a public apology to Florentino Pérez and Vinicius at a pre‑match press conference before Atlético’s Copa del Rey game at Riazor.
- He qualified the statement as “disculpas, not perdón” and declined to elaborate further, saying he had nothing more to add.
- Television coverage with lip‑reading on Movistar Plus+ captured Simeone telling Vinicius, “Te va a echar Florentino, acuérdate,” during the Supercopa semifinal in Jeddah.
- The exchange intensified when Vinicius was substituted, prompting a touchline confrontation and a rebuke from Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, who criticized the conduct as not exemplary sportsmanship.
- Reports noted no official response from Vinicius or Real Madrid and no formal disciplinary action as of the time of publication.