The situation escalated during the halftime break of the Madrid derby between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. A scuffle broke out in the tunnels, involving Antonio Rüdiger and Morten Hjulmand. Two staff members were sent off.
Following the match, controversy ignited the derby, which Atlético won 2-1. Dean Huijsen was sent off, and within Real Madrid, there was strong outrage over the lack of a red card for Kang-In Lee and Cristian Romero.
Real Madrid's coach, José Mourinho, expressed his anger after the match, while Atlético's coach, Diego Simeone, reacted strongly.
However, the situation had already taken a serious turn much earlier. Referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias reported that an altercation occurred between Atlético and Real at halftime, "triggered by Rüdiger and Hjulmand." For many, it was simply a few shoulder bumps and insults. On two occasions, the incident appeared more intense.
Pablo Vercellone, Atlético Madrid's goalkeeping coach, and Pedro Machado, José Mourinho's assistant, received direct red cards. The two staff members were sent off for having "triggered a collective altercation between the players and coaches of both clubs."
As a result, they were not allowed to return to the bench for the second half.
