Diego Simeone breaks silence after furious clash with Liverpool fans at Anfield

 Just moments after Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk headed home a Dominik Szoboszlai injury-time corner to all but clinch a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid, Los Colchoneros manager Diego Simeone fumed with fans in the front row at Anfield.

Cameras panned to Simeone — the 55-year-old nicknamed "El Cholo" for his frequent histrionics — less than 20 seconds after the goal. The Argentine had to be restrained by pitchside security as he pointed in the direction of the crowd, clearly enraged at something shouted in his direction.

The subsequent fracas saw Simeone beg with the fourth official about something — likely for a fan to be escorted out — before rushing back to confront the crowd. The situation ended with the Atleti manager receiving a red card and exiting Anfield with time on the clock.

Postgame, Simeone opened up about the incident. "They insult you all game long behind the bench, and you can't respond because you're the manager," he told reporters, translated from Spanish.

"My reaction to the insult isn't justifiable, but it's not easy to endure being insulted for 90 minutes. Hopefully, Liverpool can improve, and when they find the person who did it, there will be consequences.

He added, via AS: "Insults all game long. And gestures too. I'm the one who has to stay calm, and I have to put up with the gestures, the insults, any situation. Why? Because I'm in a position where I have to put up with it."

Discussing the game, he said: "The truth is that it was a beautiful game, in a fantastic stadium in front of an incredible crowd, against a team full of great players.

"We had our weapons and we gave our all to take the game in the direction that we wanted, and I think we were dangerous."

TNT sports play-by-play commentator Darren Fletcher remarked that Simeone "absolutely lost the plot."

Liverpool went ahead 2-0 after six minutes following a Mohamed Salah deflected free kick off Andy Robertson and a brilliant solo effort from the magician.

Reds nemesis Marcos Llorente, whose dog is named Anfield, scored a pair of thunderous volleys to level proceedings in the 81st minute. A stubborn Simeone-backed defense bent but finally broke with Van Dijk's late header.

Wednesday wasn't Simeone's first trip to Anfield with Athletico. Back in 2020, his side scored three unanswered goals — two of which came from Marcos Llorente — to secure a stunning second-leg Round of 16 victory.

They visited again in 2021, but goals from the late Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane, ahead of a Felipe red card, meant Liverpool walked to a 2-0 victory at a cantor.

Simeone has managed Atletico Madrid since 2011. While the Argentine has never won the elusive Champions League title (he's reached two finals), the decorated manager has won a pair of La Liga titles, two Europa Leagues, and a Copa del Rey with Los Colchoneros.