Football Daily | Diego Simeone, Anfield and some shouting in the workplace

3 hours ago 2

CHOLO, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE

Prepare the tiny violins! Someone has been shouting at Diego Simeone! Famously thin-skinned and a bastion of all that is right and pure in this world, the Atlético Madrid manager was sent off on Wednesday night at Anfield after reacting to a fan’s jibes from behind the dugout, following Liverpool’s latest Slottage-time winner in their Bigger Cup tie.

It is important to clarify that Football Daily does not endorse shouting in the workplace – not now, recent UK employment tribunal ruling! – and that the red card given to him does seem a little harsh considering the manager didn’t appear to do much wrong other than approach the Liverpool fan who was aiming verbal missives in his general direction. We can’t be sure about exactly what was said – and TNT Sport pundit Steve McManaman did point out afterwards that Simeone “doesn’t speak English anyway, so he’s done well to understand scouse” – but the idea of the Argentinian being offended by a bit of effing and jeffing does seem mildly amusing, akin to a pantomime villain being upset at “all the booing”, or Anne Robinson complaining to producers that the Weakest Link contestants had been talking behind her back. Oh, Anne!

“We are in a place where we don’t have a right to reply or react and it is never good when we react as managers,” sighed the famously passive Simeone, who famously cupped his genitals in celebrating an Atléti goal against Juventus in 2020. “When we are getting insulted all the game, when they scored the third goal, he turned round and insulted me. I am a person, I am human. I am not going to get into the exact nature of the insults. I don’t want to get involved in that discussion. I have got to stay in my place. I know what went on behind the manager’s bench. I can’t solve society’s problems in one press conference. I have to live with it.”

Simeone is also going to have to live with a one-match ban after his red card, which means he is poised to miss Atlético’s next Bigger Cup match, against Eintracht Frankfurt, but back on the touchline for another English adventure, to Arsenal on 21 October. Thank goodness Gunnersaurus isn’t much of a talker, or we might have another incident on our hands.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

13 September: “It won’t be months, it won’t be weeks … it will be Wednesday” – new Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou expects things to turn around swiftly in the wake of an opening 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.

17 September: “I sensed the players thought it was going to happen automatically. We should have been a lot more prepared for what was going to come and handled it a lot better” – Wednesday comes too soon as Forest concede twice in added time, throwing away a 2-0 lead at Swansea and slumping out of the Milk Cup.

Swansea celebrate their dramatic win over Forest

While admiring John Waugh’s ‘more is more’ celebration of the extended Bigger Cup format (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), he evoked Albert Camus as justification for his case. As we all know, Camus owed everything he knew about morality and the obligations of men to football, but, whereas life may be meaningless, his love of his team RUA was so deep that when he went to Paris he went to watch Racing Club, because they wore the same kit as RUA, so he could pretend to still be watching his favourite team. ‘After all,’ he wrote (in French), ‘that’s why I loved my team so much – for the joy of victories, so wonderful when paired with the fatigue that follows effort, but also for that stupid urge to cry on nights of defeat.’ Were Algeria still French and RUA playing in Bigger Cup, and that Camus had been wearing a seatbelt on that fateful drive, and reached the ripe old age of 112 he would be have been ecstatic to watch them play against any old chaff they were drawn against” – Guy Cooper.

Has it occurred to our learned friend that Football Daily might be looking at the bigger picture (doubtful, I know)? Qarabag may be minnows in Bigger Cup, but they’ve won 11 of their past 12 domestic league titles because of the money they make in European competitions. I wonder how many fans find it fun watching non-Qarabag teams compete in the Azerbaijan Premier League? Contrary to John’s argument, I believe clubs having a chance of actually winning a competition would increase fan engagement and make the whole sport more appealing. Maybe a better idea than just cramming more teams into European competitions is to actually have fewer teams competing in them, but have Uefa distribute more money across those weaker leagues so teams are better able to compete?” – Thabo Caves.

What pleasure to read a reference to Larkin (yesterday’s letters) on a day when I myself had spent a little while reading part of an anthology of the great poet’s works. Noble Francis, and others, who may have found Larkin’s sometimes fruity language a little coarse for their sensibilities might have enjoyed attempts to sanitise literature that included: ‘They tuck you up your mum and dad’” – Michael Lloyd.

Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Guy Cooper. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.