Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid plotting January swoop for Premier League centre-back
Atletico Madrid are in the market for defensive reinforcements in the upcoming January transfer window, as part of Diego Simeone’s plans to add more quality to the team.
Especially in the central defensive area, the club lack proper quality and assurance. This is mainly because there are uncertainty looming over the future of Mario Hermoso and Felipe whereas Stefan Savic has struggled with injuries.
With that in mind, Atleti are keen on signing another centre-back in January, with Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu emerging as one of the top options.
This has been reported by Diario AS who suggest that Los Rojiblancos are attempting a repeat of ‘operation Reinildo’, who was available for a free transfer at the end of last season, but the club opted to pay a minimal fee to snap him in January.
Reinildo’s investment paid off for Atletico Madrid as the Mozambican has emerged as one of the most consistent performers in the team. The club are now looking to replicate the process for Soyuncu, whose current contract at Leicester City expires at the end of the season.
Formerly of Stuttgart, Soyuncu is a strong centre-back, with a sharp defensive nous and physicality that should make him an ideal fit for Simeone’s style of play. He has no shortage of experience either, having featured in 125 competitive matches for Leicester City.
With his current contract expiring in 2023, Soyuncu could be available for a cut-price deal in January, thus making him an excellent target for Atletico Madrid.
From a sporting perspective, the Turkish international could prove to become an ideal replacement for Felipe, who has fallen out of favour at Atleti and is all set to leave the club in the upcoming January transfer window.
Atletico Madrid News
UEFA open investigation against multiple Real Madrid players over celebration vs Atletico
More than two weeks after Real Madrid’s controversial win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, UEFA has sent quite the shockwave to the defending European champions.
In a recent statement, UEFA has announced they have started an open investigation against a series of Real Madrid players for the way they celebrated after winning against Atletico Madrid, about two weeks back.
What is the investigation about?
As reported by MARCA, the European governing body is specifically looking into the actions of Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos, and Vinicius Jr.
The controversy stems from Real Madrid’s celebrations after knocking out city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The celebrations took place near the section of the stadium occupied by Real Madrid supporters, but some actions by the players have drawn scrutiny.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players (Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Daniel Ceballos Fernandez and Vinicius Junior) during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between Club Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid on 12 March 2025,” UEFA said in an official statement.
Rudiger is being investigated for a gesture in which he placed his hand around his neck, while Mbappe reportedly made an inappropriate gesture by touching his genitals.
Vinicius, on the other hand, was involved in heated interactions with Atletico fans both before and after the match, while Ceballos was seen enthusiastically joining the celebrations.
The celebrations from Real Madrid players drew hostility from Atletico Madrid fans for obvious reasons, with the opposition fans resorting to throwing bottles on the pitch.
Jude Bellingham was even among the ones hit by these throwing objects from Atleti fans while Vinicius pointed to the Real Madrid crest on his shirt, which might have played a role in further fuming tension.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, responded to the hostility from Atleti fans by dancing inside the pitch.
UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to review the incidents, although it is very much likely that Real Madrid would appeal against any sanctions placed on the event of any breach.
