Diego Simeone is set to challenge British customs once again when his Atletico Madrid team visits Anfield for their opening Champions League match against Liverpool.
The two European giants will face off in an eagerly anticipated group stage game on Tuesday.
Liverpool and Atletico have clashed six times in the Champions League, with the Spanish side eliminating the Reds in the 2019/20 round of 16 with a 4-2 aggregate victory. However, when drawn together in the 2021/22 group stage, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool won both matches, including a thrilling 3-2 win at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
After one of those matches, Simeone rushed down the tunnel without shaking Klopp’s hand, leaving the Liverpool manager surprised and giving a thumbs-up gesture.
The Argentine later explained that while he’s happy to greet opponents before matches, he dislikes the post-game handshake tradition common in England.
“I don’t like the handshake after the match because it reflects the emotions of two teams in very different emotional states,” Simeone said. “I know it’s customary in the UK, but I don’t agree with it and find it somewhat insincere.”
Before their second meeting that season, Klopp addressed the handshake incident, saying, “If I had known he didn’t do post-match handshakes, I wouldn’t have gone for it. I expect we will shake hands before the game tomorrow.”
Simeone has also avoided acknowledging Brendan Rodgers at Celtic Park after a Champions League match with Celtic and behaved similarly against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Simeone is likely to repeat this stance with Arne Slot, with whom he had a previous handshake dispute. In 2021, after a heated friendly between Simeone’s Atletico and Slot’s Feyenoord—where a red card and pitch invasion occurred—Simeone refused to shake hands with Slot, who laughed but was pushed by Simeone.
“I wanted to shake his hand, but he didn’t want to, so I just laughed at him,” Slot told ESPN after the incident. “If no one had been around, it could have been a real problem. I wouldn’t want to meet him alone.”
The two later made peace and shook hands when Atletico faced Feyenoord again in 2023, with Slot downplaying the previous confrontation.
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