Atletico Madrid News
Stat attack: Ancelotti and Simeone set for historic 20th clash, numbers favour Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone have a rich history against each other. The Argentine and Italian tacticians have faced off against each other on numerous occasions, each hoping to outsmart the other, and the numbers show the equality.
The Madrid derby later today will be the 20th meeting between the two managers. Of them, Ancelotti has got the better of Simeone on eight occasions while the Argentine has come out on top seven times. The other five games ended in draws.
All of the Argentine coach’s meetings with Ancelotti have been at Atletico Madrid, albeit in different competitions. The same is not true for his rival on the night, as the Italian faced Simeone twice with Bayern Munich in the 2016-17 season.
The records surrounding the managers do not end there. With Sunday’s derby, Ancelotti becomes the manager against whom Simeone has faced off the most in his career at 20 times. The reverse transaction again does not hold true, as the Real Madrid coach has faced Luciano Spalletti and Fabio Capello 24 and 22 times respectively.
When the two teams met earlier this season in La Liga, Los Blancos saw off their local rivals by a 2-1 scoreline. The two teams met again last month in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, and it was again Real Madrid who came out on top in the game that ended 3-1.
Simeone thus has a point to prove on Saturday as he hopes to end the Merengues’ winning run against Atletico.
Real Madrid currently sit second on the league standings, eight points behind Barcelona while Atletico Madrid are fourth and find themselves ten points behind their neighbours. Needless to say, the result at Santiago Bernabeu could have massive implications for the title race in Spain.
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.
