Jonny Poulter, the fan who confronted Atletico boss Diego Simeone after Virgil van Dijk's late goal in Liverpool's match against Atletico at Anfield, has taken to social media to vent. He called the manager a "coward" and accused one of his coaching staff of spitting at him.
In the Champions League group stage clash, Liverpool edged out Atletico thanks to a late Virgil van Dijk header. During the celebrations, Atletico manager Diego Simeone confronted a supporter in the Anfield stands near the dugouts. The Argentine explained to the press that he had been insulted throughout the match, a claim the fan refuted the following day on social media.
The Liverpool supporter, named Jonny Poulter, posted a 1:13-minute video in which he branded the coach a "coward", accused one of his assistants of spitting at him, and denied making any racist remarks. The latter point arose because, following Poulter's accusation, Simeone was asked about the matter but did not respond directly, leading to speculation that could damage his reputation.
"I wouldn't be comfortable if I didn't talk about what happened last night with Simeone. And I think he's a bit of a coward. When he gave his first press conference after the match, the Spanish press asked him what was said, if there was racism, if I said anything related to the war or whatever... There was nothing racist that I said or anyone else said. There was no mention from me of the Falklands War or anyone else," he began.
"But the fact that he was asked and didn't answer the question, that he simply walked away, has generated all this speculation around the world. I've received messages from all platforms, I don't even know how many, with people saying what I said or what I didn't say, and I didn't say anything apart from 'eeeee' - makes the middle finger gesture - 'f*ck you', 'we've won', basically, which is what you do," he added.
"But he was quick enough when they equalised, when his assistant manager started 'eeeeeey' in front of us, and obviously they were telling him he was a sh*t and all that. And his assistant manager, who came over and spat at me... Yes, he did," he concluded. His statement quickly went viral on social media, although the renewed attention on his face reminded people that, in 2015, he was banned from attending matches for three years.
In 2015, the 'Liverpool Echo' published a story featuring Jonny Poulter. During Steven Gerrard's final match at Anfield, he was in the Kop stand, where he held up a banner that blocked the view of a woman in a wheelchair. The woman's husband asked him to remove it so his wife could enjoy the game, but he refused, saying he had been trying to get the disabled fans moved for some time.
They ended up confronting each other, arguing and exchanging insults, so the matter went to Sefton Magistrates' Court. The judge heard that the fan, then 20 years old - now 30 - had moved to Liverpool from County Durham a year earlier and had already been arrested in 2013 for trying to smuggle smoke bombs into Wigan Athletic's stadium. He defended himself by saying that the man, David Higham, had invaded his personal space and shouted that his banners were "f***ing pathetic".
The magistrate concluded that Poulter, then 20, should have been more considerate, given that he was speaking to a 61-year-old man and that, at over six feet tall, it was logical that the woman's husband would feel intimidated, not him. Furthermore, several witnesses confirmed that he had disrespected the woman, resulting in a three-year ban from attending any match and a fine of over £1,000.