Clash on the Sidelines: Vinícius Jr and Simeone Spark the Spanish Super Cup Semi
8 January 2026
Rivalry on the sidelines
Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid's star, clashed repeatedly with Atletico Madrid's coach Diego Simeone during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Thursday night.
AS detailed the incident at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, noting the altercation began in the first half.
The newspaper published a video showing a verbal exchange near the touchline during a Real Madrid attack.
Movistar lip-reading translated the moment, with Simeone telling Vinícius: "Florentino Pérez will fire you; remember, he will fire you."
Media linked the moment to rumors that Vinícius could be weighing a contract extension with Real Madrid, whose deal runs until 2027, amid talk of a move to the Saudi league.
AS also described a second clash in the 80th minute, when Vinícius was substituted for Arda Güler, and the Brazilian left the pitch to jeers.
Simeone was heard saying, "Listen, listen," as fans showed displeasure, and teammates had to separate them to prevent escalation.
Real Madrid edged Atletico 2-1 to reach the final against Barcelona on Sunday, a match that will be shown on the Eight app.
Aftermath and final setup
The victory keeps Madrid's cup defense alive, while the incident adds spice ahead of the final against Barça.
Punchlines (sniper jokes):
Humor 1: If football rivalries had a punchline, today would be a chorus of boos and a drumroll before the trophy finally signs off on the drama.
Humor 2: When the bench is louder than the field, you know the scriptwriter forgot to sign off. See you in the final, folks.
