Real Madrid player Dani Ceballos made a significant jab at crosstown competitor Atletico Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone after Los Blancos triumphed 4-1 over Las Palmas on Sunday, regaining the lead in La Liga.
As the dust settles on last week’s 5-2 defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final against FC Barcelona in Jeddah, the lead-up to the Las Palmas match has been marked by a back-and-forth exchange between Simeone and his Madrid counterpart Carlo Ancelotti.
Simeone was questioned regarding the controversy that emerged during Los Blancos’ 5-2 Copa del Rey victory against Celta Vigo on Thursday, where the Galicians might have received a penalty that went unnoticed.
During that same sequence of play, Kylian Mbappe netted the first goal for his team. Since the score ended 2-2 at the end of regular time, Madrid could have easily faced elimination in the last 16, but instead advanced to the quarterfinals due to Endrick’s brace scored around a Fede Valverde volley.
“Honestly, I didn’t see the game from yesterday.” “They shared moments from the match that have occurred for a century, so I don’t understand their surprise,” Simeone remarked when prompted to address the issue.
When Ancelotti was asked about Simeone’s comments during a press conference for the Las Palmas match, he responded: “Such remarks are made for the audience.” The entire football community knows what Real Madrid signifies in its 125 years of existence. “I suppose they are spines that cause pain.”
After the final whistle, as Madrid topped La Liga with a two-point advantage, Ceballos remarked that Simeone “has not surpassed the two finals he lost to Madrid,” referring to the Champions League finals in 2014 and 2016.
In another brief post-match interview, the former Arsenal playmaker remarked that Kylian Mbappe was “devilish” at the Bernabeu and noted, “it’s been a while since I’ve witnessed a player who impacts the game so significantly.”
Regarding his increased visibility, Ceballos stated: “I’ve put in the effort, bided my time, and now I’ll continue to work hard.” “I plan to remain here until the season concludes.”
Upon receiving a standing ovation, the 28-year-old remarked: “I appreciate the fans; we endured results that justified the criticism, but you can change that with hard work.”
