Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos took a huge swipe at crosstown rival Atletico Madrid’s head coach … [+]
Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos took a huge swipe at crosstown rival Atletico Madrid’s head coach Diego Simeone after Los Blancos won 4-1 against Las Palmas on Sunday to reclaim top spot in La Liga.
With the dust settling on last week’s 5-2 Spanish Super Cup final loss to FC Barcelona in Jeddah, the build up to the Las Palmas fixture had been peppered by a back and forth between Simeone and his Madrid counterpart Carlo Ancelotti.
Simeone was asked about the controversy that unfolded in Los Blancos’ 5-2 Copa del Rey win over Celta Vigo on Thursday, when the Galicians could have been given a penalty which was ignored.
On the same run of play, Kylian Mbappe went on to score his side’s opener. And given that the score finished 2-2 in regular time, Madrid might have easily been eliminated from the competition in the last 16 yet instead marched on to quarterfinals thanks to Endrick’s brace netted either side of a Fede Valverde volley.
“I didn’t watch yesterday’s game, honestly. They told me episodes that took place within the match, but there have been for 100 years – so I don’t know what they are surprised about,” Simeone quipped when encouraged to comment on the matter.
When Simeone’s remarks were raised with Ancelotti as he held a press conference to preview the Las Palmas tie, he answered: “These are things that are said for the gallery. The whole football world is aware of what Real Madrid represents in its 125 years of history. I guess they are thorns that hurt.”
Following the full time whistle as Madrid returned to the La Liga summit with a two-point lead, Ceballos said that Simeone “has not overcome the two finals he’s lost to Madrid” in reference to Champions League deciders in 2014 and 2016.
Elsewhere in a short post-match interview, the ex-Arsenal playmaker said that Kylian Mbappe was “devilish” in the Bernabeu while “it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a player who makes such a difference on the pitch”.
As for him enjoying more prominence than before, Ceballos explained: “I’ve worked, waited for my moment, and now I’m going to keep working. I’m going to stay here until the end of the season.”
On receiving a standing ovation, the 28-year-old said: “I’m grateful to the fans, we came from results in which you could understand the criticism, but you turn around with work”.
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