‘Diego Simeone had blood everywhere’… Arsenal legend opens up about explosive clash with football icon

EXCLUSIVE: Diego Simeone was rendered furious after a confrontation with an Arsenal player during a heated fixture.

While the now-Atletico Madrid manager is renowned for his fiery personality, he well and truly met his match against a tough French defender.

Gilles Grimandi injured Diego Simeone during scuffle

On October 17, 2000, Lazio hosted Arsenal in a Champions League clash at the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, Italy.

And during the game, Diego Simeone got more than he bargained for when he got on the wrong side of Gilles Grimandi.

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In an exclusive interview with Sporf, via BetVictor Online Casino, the retired sportsman reminisced: “It’s another story in which I may have reacted too quickly. I can’t remember exactly what he did, but he did something to me. I didn’t accept it, and my reaction was not a good one. I turned and pushed him, and I think I broke something; Simeone had blood everywhere on his face. In football, sometimes you overreact.

“At the end of the game, I was on the coach; he was still following me, and he tried to get on the coach on his own. I said, ‘He’s a strong guy because he’s not scared to get on the coach on his own to try and catch me at the end’. I met him after that, and it’s a story. He’s a competitive guy; he likes to win, but it’s over.”

Gilles Grimandi regrets horror tackle on Edgar Davids

During his time with ‘The Gunners’, Grimandi carved his legacy in stone, winning two Premier League titles and an FA Cup.

And it was his unrelenting will to win that really earned the love of the fans.

However, he’s confessed that he sometimes let his desire to succeed get the better of him.

With many years having passed, the Arsenal legend says he regrets a horror tackle on Edgar Davids.

Featured Image Credit: Getty