Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone fumes over VAR controversy - 'They think we're stupid'

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has hit out at the discussion of the VAR scandal, following Real Madrid’s controversial win over Almeria on Sunday.

After the match, in which three VAR decisions went in Real Madrid’s favour, aiding them in a 3-2 comeback win, the audio from the VAR room was released in which it is shown that the referee in the VAR room did not show the referee all of the angles. Internally, the Referees Committee have admitted that two of the three interventions were incorrect.

The next day, further audio was leaked of another incident, in which Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez sees Vinicius Junior strike Alejandro Pozo, but does not inform the on-field referee. A second leak shows Dani Ceballos body-checked by Chumi, where the VAR assistant ignores the incident again, but refers to Ceballos by his name, and the Almeria defender as ’21’.

Ahead of Atletico Madrid’s Copa del Rey quarter-final with Sevilla, Simeone said he had no opinion on that game, but asked about the VAR, El Cholo scoffed at the fact some were more concerned at the leaks themselves rather than the content.

“It’s so difficult… because depending on which side you take, there are situations. The referees go through a moment of pressure, the VAR improves them, but exposes them too. Then we can discuss whether the audios are good: the issue is not whether they leak them, but what happens in them. They think we are all stupid, and that makes us angry.”