The Liverpool supporter at the centre of Diego Simeone’s explosive touchline meltdown during Wednesday night’s Champions League clash has sensationally alleged that he was spat at by a member of Atletico Madrid’s coaching staff during the heated confrontation.
Jonny Poulter, who admitted to swearing and gesturing at the Argentinian manager during Liverpool’s dramatic 3-2 victory at Anfield, released a minute-long video on social media platform X claiming that an Atletico assistant coach spat in his direction during the melee that followed Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time winner.
The dramatic scenes unfolded in the 92nd minute when Van Dijk rose to power home a header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner, sealing all three points for Liverpool after Atletico had fought back from 2-0 down to level the match. As Anfield erupted in celebration, Simeone lost his composure and engaged in a furious confrontation with supporters seated behind the visitors’ dugout.
Denials of Racist Abuse and “Coward” Claims
Poulter, visible in television footage taunting the Atletico boss, vehemently denied making any racist remarks or references to the Falklands War, whilst branding the former midfielder a “coward” for failing to clarify the nature of the exchange during his post-match press conference.
“I think he is a bit of a coward,” Poulter stated in his social media video. “When he went in and did his press conference after the game, the Spanish media had asked him what was said, if it was racist or regarding the Falklands War or all of this rubbish.”
The Liverpool fan insisted he had only sworn at Simeone after the winning goal, stating: “There was nothing racist said by me or anyone else. There was never a mention of the Falklands War by me or anyone else. But the fact he was asked it and he didn’t answer the question, he just got up and walked out, has left it open to speculation for the world.”
Poulter revealed he had received countless messages across various platforms questioning what he had said, explaining: “I never said anything other than ‘f*** off, we’ve won’, as you do.”
Spitting Allegation Against Atletico Staff
The most serious allegation came when Poulter accused an Atletico Madrid assistant coach of spitting at him during the fracas. Multiple sources have identified the staff member in question as potentially being the club’s nutritionist David Lagos, who has been with Atletico for eight years.
“That’s what he did to us when they scored the equaliser, his assistant manager giving us the ‘Whey’ in front of us,” Poulter claimed. “Obviously, he was getting called a s***house or whatever else. His assistant manager, who came over and spat at me… Yeah.”
Video footage obtained by This Is Anfield appears to show an Atletico staff member, who had initially been pushed back by stewards, returning to the scene whilst attention was diverted and appearing to spit in the direction of the Liverpool supporters. UEFA are expected to investigate the incident as part of their overall inquiry into the stoppage-time scenes.
Simeone’s Response and Red Card
The volatile Atletico manager was shown a straight red card by referee Maurizio Mariani after stewards had to physically restrain him from confronting supporters. Television cameras captured footage of Poulter celebrating directly in Simeone’s face as the Argentinian attempted to square up to him.
In his post-match press conference, Simeone admitted his reaction was “not justifiable” but expressed frustration at enduring what he described as “90 minutes of insults” from the crowd. The 55-year-old manager stated: “I’m a person, I’m human. When they scored the third goal, he turned around and insulted me.”
Simeone declined to elaborate on the specific nature of the verbal abuse, saying: “The truth is I cannot remember exactly. I don’t want to enter into the situation. The thing I have is that I have to maintain my position. I need to know how to withstand everything that happens in front of the dugout.”
The Atletico boss called on Liverpool to take action, stating: “I hope that a team like Liverpool can improve that part. When they identify the person who did this, it should have its consequences, but he who needs to stay calm and take the insults is me.”
Previous Incidents and Background
This is not Poulter’s first controversial incident at Anfield. According to the Liverpool Echo, he was previously banned from attending football matches for three years when he was 20 years old after hurling abuse at a disabled woman and her husband. The ban, imposed in 2015, came after he was asked to move a banner so a wheelchair user could see the game.
Poulter was also required to serve a curfew between 9:30pm and 6am for an eight-week period and had been previously cautioned in 2013 for attempting to bring smoke pellets into Wigan Athletic’s stadium.
The incident also marks another flashpoint for Simeone with English supporters. Spanish newspaper Marca referenced a previous confrontation when the Atletico manager left Old Trafford “amid a hail of bottles” after his side knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League in 2022.
The Match That Sparked the Controversy
The explosive scenes overshadowed what had been a thrilling Champions League encounter. Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead inside six minutes through Andy Robertson, whose shot took a deflection off Mohamed Salah’s free-kick, and Salah himself, who danced through the Atletico defence to score.
Marcos Llorente, continuing his remarkable scoring record at Anfield, pulled one back for the visitors in first-half stoppage time. The Spanish midfielder then struck a deflected volley past Alisson in the 81st minute to level the match, taking his Champions League goal tally at Liverpool’s ground to four goals.
Just when it appeared Liverpool had thrown away their first Champions League win of the season, captain Van Dijk rose majestically to head home the dramatic winner in the second minute of added time, sparking the confrontation that followed.
UEFA Investigation Expected
UEFA are awaiting official reports from the match officials before deciding whether to launch a formal investigation into both Simeone’s conduct and the alleged spitting incident. The governing body will review footage and witness statements as part of their standard disciplinary procedures.
Paul Joyce of The Times reported that UEFA are expected to investigate the alleged spitting as part of their broader inquiry into the stoppage-time incidents. Any proven case of spitting would likely result in severe sanctions given the serious nature of such behaviour.
Liverpool have not yet commented on the incidents or whether they will take any action against the supporter involved. The club has previously demonstrated a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable fan behaviour, as evidenced by the arrest of a 47-year-old man on suspicion of racially abusing Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo at Anfield earlier this season.
Wider Context of Fan Behaviour
The incident has reignited debate about the treatment of managers and players by supporters and where the line should be drawn between passionate support and unacceptable abuse. Simeone’s point about managers having to endure constant insults whilst being unable to respond resonates with many in the game.
However, the alleged spitting by an Atletico staff member, if proven, would represent a serious breach of professional conduct regardless of any provocation. Such behaviour has no place in football and would likely result in significant disciplinary action.
As investigations continue, the incident serves as a reminder of the thin line between passion and disorder in modern football, particularly in the cauldron atmosphere of Champions League nights at venues like Anfield. The beautiful game’s ugly side was on full display in those chaotic final moments, overshadowing what should have been a celebration of another dramatic Liverpool victory.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
