Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 13:38 IST
Diego Simeone, Vinicius Junior. (X)
Real Madrid set up a summit clash against rivals Barcelona with their 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Goals from Fede Valverde and Rodrygo secured Xabi Alonso’s team a place in the final of the tournament, edging out Diego Simeone’s side.
During the derby, Simeone made a remark about Real forward Vinicius Junior, who has been struggling to score in the last sixteen games.
“You’re going to get kicked out by Florentino Perez. Remember what I’m telling you,” Simeone said.
The Brazilian responded with a social media post stating, “He’s lost yet another knockout game.”
Real head coach Xabi Alonso expressed his displeasure with Simeone’s comment during the post-game press conference and gave a stern verdict of his counterparts’ actions on the field.
“I didn’t like that. I saw Simeone say something to Vinicius, and for me, that goes against the respect you should have for opponents,” said the World Cup-winning former Spain midfielder.
“You can’t just do anything you want,” the Real Madrid manager added.
Valverde scored a stunning free kick early, which was later lauded by Simeone himself, in the second minute of the game, and Rodrygo doubled their lead in the 55th minute.
“Valverde scored a great goal, it was an extraordinary free-kick,” the Argentine coach commented.
Alexander Sorloth kept Atletico in the contest with a goal in the 59th minute, but Real Madrid held on to their slender lead to secure a place in the championship fixture against Barcelona.
“Despite that, my team played very well, but we had to win and didn’t; they had the quality to finish their chances,” Simeone concluded.
Saudi Arabia
January 09, 2026, 13:38 IST
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