Diego Simeone's furious son posts image of Riccardo Calafiori after Arsenal's Champions League win over Atletico Madrid

The tension of the Champions League semi-final spilled over onto social media as Giuliano Simeone posted a scathing critique of the officiating at the Emirates Stadium. Taking to Instagram, the Argentine attacker shared two screenshots from the match, specifically focusing on a moment where he was shoved to the ground inside the penalty box by Arsenal left-back Calafiori. The winger appeared to be in a prime position to challenge for the ball before being bundled over by the Italian international.

Frustration stemmed from the fact that the assistant referee had flagged for offside, meaning the potential foul was never reviewed as a penalty. However, Simeone's evidence suggested he may have been inside his own half when Jan Oblak launched the initial long ball, which would have made the offside call incorrect. The incident occurred just moments before Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal, doubling the sense of injustice within the Spanish camp.

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It was not the only moment that left the visitors incensed, as the match was punctuated by several flashpoints in the Arsenal box. Antoine Griezmann was also left appealing for a spot-kick after he appeared to be trodden on by Calafiori during a frantic second half. However, a VAR review determined that Atleti’s Marc Pubill had committed a foul earlier in the build-up, meaning referee Daniel Siebert was not required to check the VAR monitor.

The tension only grew as Giuliano missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise, rounding David Raya only to see his effort bobble wide under pressure from Gabriel. The Argentine forward pleaded with the referee for a penalty in that instance as well, claiming he had been bundled over, but his desperate shouts were ignored as Arsenal stood firm to protect their narrow lead.

While his son was vocal online, Diego Simeone opted for a more diplomatic approach in front of the cameras. "I won’t focus on something simple like the Griezmann incident. It’s obvious, it was a foul. The referee said there was a foul by Marc [Pubill] on one of their players," the manager admitted during his post-match duties. "I won’t focus on that. It would be an excuse, and I don’t want to make excuses. If we were eliminated, it's because our opponent deserved to advance. They were clinical in the first half and earned their place. But what I feel is tranquillity, peace; the team gave everything they had."

Despite the frustration felt by his family and the squad, Simeone showed respect for the project Mikel Arteta has built in north London. He acknowledged that the Gunners are currently operating at an elite level, aided by their significant financial backing and tactical consistency. "They have a team and a manager that I like. They follow a consistent approach, with significant financial resources that allow them to compete like this. Congratulations. We'll continue with our work, without getting bogged down in a detail of something that's so obvious," Simeone said.