Arsene Wenger believes there must have been some issues between Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone on the touchline that led to the Atletico Madrid manager refusing to shake hands after the game.
Both coaches played down the incident in post-match press conferences but ex-Arsenal boss Wenger believes it is unusual for Simeone to head straight down the tunnel:
“It’s not always peace and love on the bench. Overall, I must say that something happened there. He did not only not greet, but he ran inside. That means he was determined not to shake hands and that means something happened. The good thing is that it’s repairable because it happens sometimes that you have an exchange of words and six months later you meet each other and you sort it out.”
Atletico were particularly upset with the officiating in the match, which could have explained Simeone’s actions. However, for those who watch La Liga on a regular basis, you will know that the Argentine always runs down the tunnel after the final whistle, sometimes skipping the handshake with the opposition manager. It is nothing specifically related to Klopp as Wenger is suggesting.
Whether Simeone is right to do it, is another question entirely. In the UK and in other countries, it is polite for opposing coaches to shake hands before and after the game, and that is clearly something Simeone doesn’t have much time for.
