Diego Simeone has explained why he snubbed the handshake of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp when the sides met in the Champions League earlier in the season, but warmly greeted Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti on Sunday in the Madrid derby.
Atletico Madrid beat the newly-crowned La Liga champions 1-0 in the Wanda Metropolitano, but perhaps the most surprising event of the night was the warm embrace Simeone gave the veteran Ancelotti after the match had ended.
During two ill-tempered group stage clashes in the Champions League ended in Liverpool winning 3-2 in Spain and 2-0 at Anfield with Simeone deciding not to shake Klopp's post-match. The German boss described the behaviour as 'not cool'.
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"I've already explained myself after the first match," Simeone said to reporters ahead of his side's 2-0 loss at Anfield. "I don't like the handshake greetings after the match as they are the emotions of two different sides in different emotional minds. So I don't like that greeting after the match."
Simeone has now back-tracked on his comments from earlier in the season, claiming a handshake from him post-match all comes down to what sort of match it is.
"I have shaken hands with [Valencia manager Jose] Bordalas, [and Athletic Bilbao manager] Marcelino too," Simeone said after Atletico's 1-0 win.
"It depends on the match. Sometimes we cross paths and, in that situation, we greet each other. I have admiration for Ancelotti, he is an extraordinary coach. He has won in five different leagues. With the personality like the one he has... he handles himself the same whether he wins or loses."
