Ben White and Diego Simeone get into intense confrontation down tunnel over badge row

Ben White got on Diego Simeone’s bad side after he walked over Atletico Madrid’s crest.

As Arsenal and Atletico Madrid’s players came off the field at the Metropolitano Stadium following a tense 1-1 draw, most veered around Atleti’s badge on the ground.

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Even Gunners midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who regularly faced Atletico Madrid when he was on Real Sociedad’s books, made an effort to divert his path away from the badge.

What did White do to spark a confrontation with Simeone?

But White evidently did not get the memo, walking directly onto Atleti’s crest.

The Gunners defender was immediately pulled up on the act by Giuliano Simeone, as players from both sides soon surrounded the pair.

Yet the tension cranked up a notch when dad Simeone waded into the situation.

Giving his player a nudge to move along, Simeone was seen slapping White’s back multiple times.

The incident quickly turned serious as White and Simeone had to be held back, with one security member making a rapid dash to diffuse the situation.

The two, along with several other Arsenal and Atletico Madrid members, then disappeared down the tunnel.

Keown tells Simeone: ‘Keep your decorum’

Footage of White and Simeone’s incident comes after TNT Sports pundit and Arsenal legend Martin Keown took a swipe at the Atleti manager’s behaviour.

“Arsenal have got to make this equally as horrible in the second leg,” Keown said.

“Looking at Simeone, you’ve got to keep your decorum after a game like that.

“I don’t want to go too far with it, but something has gone very wrong there tonight.”

Not White’s night

White’s bust-up with Simeone capped off a frustrating night at the office for the Gunners defender after he was found guilty of a handball inside the box.

Marcos Llorente’s effort from outside the box was going well wide, but instead the ball bounced off White’s leg and hit his outstretched hand.

The initial incident was not picked up by referee Danny Makkelie despite the vocal protests of the Atleti players and fans as well as Simeone on the sideline.

However, Makkelie was quickly instructed to review the incident at the pitchside monitor, where he felt compelled to change his mind and award a penalty.

Julian Alvarez subsequently stepped up and powerfully dispatched the resulting spot kick, with his goal cancelling out Viktor Gyokeres’ first-half penalty.

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‘Rubbish’ call sours first leg

White’s handball was not the only refereeing controversy from the first leg in Madrid, as Eberechi Eze thought he’d won his side their second penalty when he was fouled by David Hancko.

Makkelie had initially pointed to the spot having spotted Hancko making clear contact with Eze and failing to win the ball.

However, Makkelie was told by VAR to review the incident pitchside, where he changed his made and cancelled the penalty.

It was a decision branded ‘rubbish’ and garbage’ by talkSPORT commentator Jim Proudfoot while an ‘extremely disappointed’ Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claimed it was ‘against the rules’ and ‘unacceptable’.

Arteta, White and the rest of Arsenal’s stars will hope the overturned penalty won’t have any major bearing on the final outcome when the two sides meet next Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final.

The contest, which will take place at the Emirates Stadium, is scheduled for an 8pm kick-off.