Simeone and Grimaldo demand a penalty for Hancko after Atlético’s 1-1

Atlético Madrid drew 1-1 at the MHPArena in Stuttgart, but emotions flared in the dressing room over a late studs-up incident on David Hancko that they believe should have been a penalty. The Rojiblancos were second-best in the first half, found their footing after the break and levelled through Julián Álvarez; the game still swung after Hjulmand was sent off for a direct red.

The moment that sparked outrage

The flashpoint came from a Grimaldo corner: the ball was heading toward the near post, but Hancko couldn’t get involved due to the foul. The defender stayed down for about a minute waiting for a VAR check, yet play continued.

Simeone and Grimaldo react

After the match, Simeone hit out at the referee’s call: “I didn’t see it, but the referee didn’t interpret it as a penalty.” He added that the feeling was “it was a penalty and it wasn’t given.” Grimaldo agreed, saying: “There’s been a very clear penalty… I don’t understand why VAR enters some situations and not others.”

Iturralde González argued it was a tackle from behind that interferes directly with the play, while Mateu Lahoz described it as “a very clear penalty” and called for yellow for recklessness, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.