MADRID: Diego Simeone aimed a thinly-veiled dig at Pep Guardiola after a feisty and bad-tempered night at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday, where Manchester City’s advance to the Champions League semifinals was overshadowed by a brawl on the pitch and in the tunnel.
Simeone was asked after the match if he felt Guardiola had disrespected him during the quarter-final, which City won 1-0 on aggregate after a goalless draw in the second leg.
“Often people who have a great vocabulary, who are very intelligent, they can praise you with contempt. But those of us with a little less vocabulary, we are not stupid either,” Simeone said.
After the first leg Guardiola said “in pre-history, today and in a hundred thousand years, attacking a 5-5 (formation) is very difficult,” which was taken by some to be a criticism of Atletico’s defensive style.
Guardiola insisted he had only ever praised Atletico’s resilience.
“He can play how he wants, all I have said is it is very hard to play against them,” said Guardiola.
“I have always respected this institution and this team, I would never dare to attack this team. When a team knows how to defend like no other team in the world, it’s difficult.”
Neither Simeone nor Guardiola wanted to comment on the behavior of their players during the match or in the tunnel.
“I didn’t see it,” said Simeone. “I was on the pitch applauding the fans. By the time I went inside there was nobody there.”
Police entered the tunnel after full-time as the scuffles continued between the players.
Video footage showed Atletico’s Stefan Savic shouting at City’s Jack Grealish while an incensed Sime Vrsaljko had to be held back from confronting Kyle Walker.
At one point, Vrsaljko appeared to spit across the tunnel in Walker’s direction.
UEFA are yet to confirm whether they will open an investigation into the incidents.
Atletico’s Felipe was sent off toward the end of the match after taking a swipe at Phil Foden, the Manchester City midfielder who was already wearing a bandage around his head from an earlier Felipe challenge.
The tackle, and Foden’s fall, sparked a brawl in the corner of the pitch, as players, substitutes and staff rushed in. The scrap hampered Atletico’s momentum as they pushed for the goal they needed to take the tie to extra time.
Atletico felt City’s players were wasting time.
“I don’t know if it was us wasting time or them getting involved in stupid fights,” said City defender Aymeric Laporte. “We know what they’re like and what they’ve done before.”
Atletico Madrid captain Koke said: “Lots of the time we get criticized for these things. So let’s see what people think of this today. You’ve seen it so make your own minds up.”
Manchester City will now face Real Madrid, with Liverpool up against Villarreal in the other semifinal.
Simeone aims dig at Guardiola’s ‘pre-history’ jibe after Champions League brawl
https://arab.news/c6u6c
Simeone aims dig at Guardiola’s ‘pre-history’ jibe after Champions League brawl
- "Often people who have a great vocabulary, who are very intelligent, they can praise you with contempt," Simeone said
- Neither Simeone nor Guardiola wanted to comment on the behaviour of their players during the match or in the tunnel
World No. 5 Elena Rybakina to headline strong field at 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
- The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins defending champion Belinda Bencic and Spanish favorite Paula Badosa for the event from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7
- Rising stars Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala continue breakthrough journeys at WTA 500 platform
ABU DHABI: One of the strongest fields in its history has been unveiled for this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion and world No. 5 Elena Rybakina will head an exciting line-up featuring Grand Slam winners, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting rising stars when the WTA 500 tournament returns to the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7.
The Kazakh powerhouse, who won the tournament in 2024, has established herself as one of the game’s elite competitors. Since her triumph at Wimbledon, she has reached the 2023 Australian Open final and secured multiple WTA 500 and 1000 titles, including the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh where she brushed aside World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
“I really enjoyed my time in Abu Dhabi last year,” said Rybakina, who was defeated in the semi-finals by Bencic. “The city’s support for tennis is amazing, and reaching the semifinals was a solid way to begin 2025. This year, I’m coming back with the goal of going all the way again. The competition will be fierce, but that’s what makes it exciting.”
Rybakina will be joined by Belinda Bencic, who returns to defend her unbeaten record at the event. The Swiss Olympic gold medalist has lifted the trophy in both 2023 and 2025 and remains the only player never to have lost a match at the tournament.
Spanish favorite Paula Badosa adds further depth to the elite contingent. A former world No. 2 and Indian Wells champion, Badosa brings explosive power and fierce competitiveness to a field that promises compelling matches throughout the week.
The tournament’s commitment to the next generation is underlined by the confirmation of two of 2025’s most compelling breakthrough stars. Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko, who rocketed from outside the world’s top 300 at the start of 2025 to inside the top 20 following titles in Montreal and Hong Kong, continues her remarkable rise on the WTA Tour.
Joining her is Filipina star Alexandra Eala, who returns to Abu Dhabi following her 2024 debut. The 20-year-old former US Open girls’ champion has continued her steady climb through the rankings and remains the highest-ranked Filipino player in tour history.
Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova, a multiple Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, and Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, bring proven track records while American rising star Emma Navarro, Denmark’s Clara Tauson and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez — the 2023 French Open finalist — add further depth to an already formidable lineup.
The field also features former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who captured the 2025 doubles title in Abu Dhabi alongside Ellen Perez. Chinese star Qinwen Zheng, Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin round out a top 20 that promises world-class tennis from the opening qualifiers through to the championship weekend.
Further elite talent includes Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova, Belgium’s Elise Mertens, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, American McCartney Kessler and Australian Maya Joint.
Nigel Gupta, MARI tournament director, said: “The 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open field represents everything this tournament has become — a compelling blend of Grand Slam champions, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting emerging talent. Elena Rybakina’s arrival as our top seed adds tremendous star power, while Belinda’s pursuit of a third title and the inclusion of breakthrough stars like Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala demonstrate our commitment to showcasing both today’s champions and tomorrow’s legends. This is shaping up to be our strongest edition yet.”
