Ben White was angrily confronted by Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone after the Arsenal defender walked over the opposition’s crest on the turf.
In the aftermath of the hard-fought 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Simeone was walking behind White and took umbrage with him not taking a detour around the club crest before entering the tunnel – sparking the heated row, according to Spanish press.
Footage shared online by Marca showed the fiery Atletico boss slap White on the back repeatedly, grab his arm and give him a small push.
White then turned to face Simeone and was seen speaking back to him before security piled in and the Englishman continued down to the dressing rooms.
Spanish sides in particular regard their club crests on the turf as sacred and to be respectfully walked around rather than trodden on.
The clip shows his Arsenal team-mates William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Zubimendi all skirt around the outside of it, while White opts to plough straight ahead.
Other players avoided the Atletico Madrid crest but Ben White walked straight over it
White’s act initially angers Simeone’s son, Giuliano, who plays for Atletico. The 23-year-old speaks to him before confronting him about what he had just done.
His father then follows his son’s lead to inflame matters.
The Atletico boss was simmering all night and his usual combustible self on the touchline.
His side are still very much alive in the tie after a tight, physical game against Mikel Arteta’s men but were perhaps fortunate when a penalty decision against them was overturned.
With the scores level, David Hancko made contact with Eberechi Eze in the box and the referee gave a spot kick on the pitch.
But VAR then intervened and he changed his decision after going to the monitor, under enormous pressure from the looming presence of Simeone and the noise of the Atletico crowd.
The other two goals of the game were penalties, with Hancko the guilty party for the first, shoving Viktor Gyokeres, who then converted. Julian Alvarez then equalised from the spot after a Ben White handball.
But it was the Eze incident that caused the biggest uproar among Arsenal fans and Arteta himself, who did not shy away from declaring that the wrong decision.
After the game he told TNT Sport: ‘Speaking to the boys and understanding the penalty incident for the second goal getting overturned. It was against the rules and I don’t understand it. Very upset.
Footage showed Diego Simeone getting into a physical confrontation with White
‘There is clear contact; he makes the decision and you can’t overturn it when you have to watch it 13 times.’
When asked if the referee was influenced, he said: ‘I don’t know. That’s an answer for him. It’s the wrong decisions and it changes the course of the tie.’
And regarding the penalty given against his side for handball, he added: ‘It is a rule and they have been quite consistent with that. I have nothing to say on that. The one I have to say is the penalty.
‘There are a lot of positives. A lot of very good things that we did. We knew we would have tough moments. Their home record is once again.
‘We are in an incredible position. We have to play in front of our people. It is in our hands.’
