'Atrocious' - Diego Simeone ripped apart for behaviour during Eberechi Eze penalty incident as Atletico Madrid boss' touchline antics branded 'crazy'

The Champions League semi-final first leg was overshadowed by the volatile behaviour of the Atletico bench. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard led the criticism, highlighting how Simeone's persistent presence in the official's peripheral vision may have skewed the decision-making process during a crucial review involving Eberechi Eze.

Speaking after the match, Gerrard did not hold back in his assessment of the Atleti boss. "Simeone is crazy, slapping his players on the back of the head. Simeone, I think he played a big part [in the penalty reversal decision]. From a coaching point of view, his behaviour there, he was in the referees eyesight coming over," Gerrard told TNT Sports.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown suggested that the referee was simply unable to withstand the atmosphere created by the home side's technical area. He argued that the contact on Eze was sufficient to uphold the original decision and that the intervention from the VAR hub in the first place was unnecessary and outside of the standard protocol.

"I simply don't think it was [a] clear and obvious [error by the referee]," Keown explained. "The referee should be able to referee the game. VAR has got too involved. That's not what we wanted with VAR. It's not part of the protocol for me. Simeone, though, his actions at the sidelines, the drama he creates and the scenes around it, the referee, in the end, I felt buckled under the pressure, went to the screen and didn't stick with his decision. I don't think he should have even been made to go to the screen."

The flashpoint occurred when David Hancko appeared to trip Eze in the box. While a penalty was initially awarded, Makkelie was urged to consult the pitchside monitor, where he reviewed as many as 13 replays over 45 seconds before reversing his call. Steve McManaman was left appalled by the scenes surrounding the monitor throughout this process.

"Well, we're talking about VAR again. I mean I absolutely hate it, hate, hate, hate it," McManaman fumed. "I thought the behaviour, I have to echo Martin [Keown], I thought the behaviour of Diego Simeone and his assistants when the referee was trying to come over to look at the monitor was atrocious. The constant haranguing of the fourth official, once he gives it and it's contact, it's not a clear and obvious error. You shouldn't go back and ref it again but I thought he had an awful game."

Commentator Darren Fletcher echoed these sentiments, noting that Simeone was effectively breathing down the neck of the referee while the video footage was being reviewed. The Atleti manager's tactics were described as a masterclass in the 'dark arts' designed to intimidate the officiating crew in the heat of a European semi-final.

Fletcher noted: "It's not been a good night in the Champions League for these types of decisions. I just wish we could have got a wider shot of Simeone's antics while he was looking at the screen, he was literally five yards behind the screen, bellowing at the ref, waving at the ref. If there was ever a time to get a yellow card for trying to influence a referee it was then." McManaman concluded by stating: "I guarantee if that was in the opposite box, Simone would be going apoplectic on the sidelines and his behaviour honestly is awful, absolutely awful."