Jurgen Klopp plays down Diego Simeone avoiding full-time handshake after Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid

Jurgen Klopp has played down Diego Simeone’s decision to avoid a full-time handshake with the Liverpool boss after Atletico Madrid’s 3-2 defeat on Tuesday night.

A thrilling Champions League encounter saw Liverpool leave Madrid with all three points thanks to Mohamed Salah’s 78^th-minute penalty.

Atletico seemingly had a chance to level from the spot afterwards, but referee Daniel Siebert reversed his decision when consulting the pitchside monitor having initially awarded a penalty when Diogo Jota nudged Jose Maria Gimenez.

In a match packed with contentious calls, Simeone then ran straight down the tunnel at full-time, leaving Klopp without a handshake before the Liverpool boss wagged his finger at another Atletico staff member.

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“The situation is clear, I wanted to shake his hand, he didn’t want it,” Klopp told BT Sport.

“His reaction was for sure not right, mine [waving down the tunnel] was not too cool also, but we are both emotional, so when I see him next time we will shake hands definitely.

“He was obviously angry, not with me, but with the game, it’s nothing else.”

No handshake between Simeone and Klopp as the Reds edge Atletico in a five-goal thriller! ????‍????

FT: Atletico 2-3 Liverpool pic.twitter.com/V4yYMxCPfr

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 19, 2021

Liverpool had raced to a two-goal lead thanks to Salah and Naby Keita, but were then pegged back before half-time with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice.

Griezmann then saw red for a high tackle on Roberto Firmino to change the outlook of the match, and after Liverpool scored from the spot, Atletico were denied a penalty late on – which former Reds striker Luis Suarez was set to take.

Klopp added: “Our penalty is a penalty. And I think the other one is not a penalty, but I don’t see it very often when they take it back. I didn’t expect that, but I think it’s the right decision.

“The red card is for sure unlucky, but it’s still a red card. Boot in the face and stuff like this, we’ve had red cards like this in the past.

“It was a tough game, come on. Honestly, how you win it, I couldn’t care less. The dirty ones are the really important ones. On a night like this, getting three points is really massive.”

from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3DUIAfr