Diego Simeone was sent off for his obscene gesture towards Liverpool fans. Photo: Imago

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has justified his behaviour against Liverpool when he made an obscene gesture to Reds fans during their Champions League match.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone claims Liverpool fans insulted him and that is why he made an obscene gesture towards them.

Liverpool snatched a last-minute winner in the thrilling UEFA Champions League contest at Anfield on Wednesday night when the Premier League champions won 3-2.

Captain Virgil van Dijk scored in the 92nd minute to hand the Reds victory after Atletico had fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 and were close to nicking a point before the Dutchman struck.

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That sent Liverpool fans wild in the stands and a section of them goaded Simeone, something the Atletico boss was not happy with.

The Argentine coach charged towards them but was held back by sternwards although that did not stop him as he appeared to get out of their grip while making an obscene middle finger gesture to the Reds faithful.

It earned him a red card, forcing him to watch the remaining seconds of the game in the stands, but he insists he was provoked and insulted by Liverpool fans.

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was shown a red card after a furious meltdown sparked by Liverpool’s late winner at Anfield. The Argentine appeared to gesture towards fans before being dismissed by referee Maurizio Mariani in stoppage time. #LFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/TlyibDweZ0

“Firstly, I regret the part I played. It’s clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react,” Simeone said after the match, as quoted by the BBC.

“We [managers] are in a position where we are protagonists/standard bearers, so in the same manner that we fight against racism and insults in stadiums today, we could also fight on behalf of the managers, against the insults we receive throughout the whole game,” he added.

“It’s not easy to be in the position we are in and receive insults for the whole game. I saw it from far away after the third goal. I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I’m a person,” Simeone further said, justifying his reaction.

Asked what was said to him to spark his reaction, the Atletico boss said: “The truth is I cannot remember exactly. I don’t want to enter into the situation.

“The thing I have is that I have to maintain my position. I need to know how to withstand everything that happens in front of the dugout, and know I cannot fix society. I, and whichever manager, has to live with this because it happens all of the time.”

Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah had given Liverpool a 2-0 lead inside six minutes but Marcos Llorente scored twice for the Spanish side to bring them level before Van Dijk’s late winner broke their hearts.