Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone criticized for their crude behavior
What's the story
Atletico Madrid might have fought their way through in the first leg match of their Champions League encounter, but they have been criticized from some corners for their behavior on the field. Now, Christophe Duggary, the member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad, has also slammed the Spanish giants and their manager regarding the way they conducted themselves during their match against Juventus.
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They're forced to manufacture an enemy, a monster: Duggary
Commenting on the match, Duggary said that he felt Atletico players were asked by their manager to create hostility on the pitch by continuously putting pressure on the referee and complaining against most of the decisions that went against them. In his interview with RMC Sport, Duggary talked about how Diego Costa had also tried to deliberately force a penalty.
Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone was criticized for his explicit gesture
Duggary also pointed out how inappropriate it was for Atletico manager Diego Simeone to grab his crotch when his team went 2-0 up against their strong Italian opponents. However, when asked about his gesture, Simeone just said, "It means we have balls, a lot of balls", referring to the fact that he made Koke and Costa play after a long time.
Atletico
Atletico showed their grit in the second half
Despite criticizing Atletico for their attitude in the first half, Duggary admitted that they showed real promise afterwards. It was their Uruguayan defenders, Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez, who scored the two goals during the second half of the match to put Atletico in front. The next leg is bound to be a thriller as Juventus will attack with all guns blazing at home.
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was also criticized for his post-match gesture
While Atletico have been criticized for their on-field behavior, another person who has created a stir off-field is Juventus megastar Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, when approached by the press post-match, gestured that despite winning, Atletico had no Champions League titles while he had five. Ronaldo has been criticized for being a sore loser and not being to handle a loss respectfully.