Rarely a 0-0 game was so interesting as the Champions League quarterfinal match between Atletico Madrid and Manchester City. Unfortunately, it was not that type of game when two teams create many chances, but the keepers prevent goals, it was one of many Atletico Madrid games where there was no real football for 60 minutes, after which Diego Simeone finally decided to attack in order to get to overtime. But it was also a game of incidents, spitting and fights, during and after the match. Players had to be separated in the tunnel, after the referee whistled the end of the game which lasted 9 more minutes, due to various injuries and conflicts. And it sounds funny, but we actually recorded more direct incidents (6) than shots on target by both teams in this match (4). 0 – Stefan Savić didn’t commit a single foul over both legs of Atletico Madrid’s quarter-final tie against Manchester City. Unexpected. pic.twitter.com/HDcHFgiyK0— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 13, 2022 Things were so bad, that the police troops who were guarding the stands have been called to go to the locker room tunnel to remove the City and Atleti players. And according to The Athletic, UEFA are likely to take disciplinary action over events at the end of the game. There were rough tackles here and there during the game (as in the first game too), but things really took of when Felipe was sent off for the second yellow after one of many tackles on Foden. It erupted on the pitch as Stefan Savic confronted half a dozen City players, and the brawl lasted for an entire minute or so, and all that halfway through the stoppage-time. By that moment, the ref definitely lost control of the game. And tensions boiled once again when the player went into the tunnel, where another fight occurred. But, let’s start from that Felipe foul in the 88th minute.BREAKING: Stefan Savic instigates disgraceful scenes in Madrid with defender headbutting Raheem Sterling and chasing Grealish to start tunnel brawl https://t.co/6fyO1N0PDx pic.twitter.com/5JH5m5PJpk— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) April 13, 2022 Incident number one was the rough tackle on Foden, and it was followed by incident number two, when former City player Savic stormed over and literally pulled the Englishman off the field, in order to prevent him wasting time on the clock, but that just added the fuel and the scuffle occurred between a numbers of players. The same player committed an incident number three and four, when he pulled Grealish by the hair and then head-butted Sterling, and it can all be seen here: Stefan Savić and Jack Grealish were separated from each other again after the game and before entering the tunnel, but then Kyle Walker started the fight (number 5), when he pushed Atletico Madrid’s physiotherapist, David Lora outside the tunnel which eventually led to the fight. Footage from a French broadcaster appeared to show a mass altercation between players and staff from City and Atletico, with an object thrown by Sime Vrsaljko towards Aymeric Laporte and members of the away side’s backroom team (number 6): Footage from the tunnel last night after the Atlético Madrid – Man City match. Savic and Vrsaljko involved from the home team. #ucl pic.twitter.com/ClTdaoLcPy— Nicolai Lisberg (@NicolaiLisberg) April 14, 2022 Apart from this obvious incidents, there were also little ones, here and there, like when Llorente pushed Ake over Ederson intentionally, and then smiling in the 82nd minute, or when referee incidentally poked Atletico’s Kondogbia in the eye:
Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand was critical of home team players after the game.“We have witnessed the disgusting behavior of some Atlético Madrid players. They should be ashamed. Especially Savic. They played well and affected City’s pace. They did well in terms of football, but what happened towards the end is something nobody wants to see” said Rio.After the match, Diego Simeone was asked whether his team had “crossed a line”.“In which occasion?” came the response.