Julen Guerrero being treated after pisotón Simeone (Photo: The mail)
The 8 from December to 1996 He was played in San Mames a classic of Spanish Liga facing the Athletic Club de Bilbao against him Atletico Madrid. The meeting would end with a tie with goals from Milinko Pantic for colchoneros and Etxeberría for Lions. But what really remember about that day is the pisotón Simeone Guerrero.
A long pass to the captain Lions, one star Athletic, was lost by baseline but Julen was launched to try to avoid before a Simeone which was brought to let the leather.
At that moment, Argentine stepped shape allegedly intentionally to '8’ of the Athletic. The images captured by the cameras were first page of major newspapers and television the next day. The hole in the right thigh that produced the pisotón of Simeone the local player, to which they had to give three stitches, somehow he marked the career of Argentine player.
a stir was armed. President Athletic, Jose Maria Arrate, He did not hesitate to accuse the Argentine player to have acted intentionally. The club, With the permission of Julen Guerrero, He denounced the action and the Competition Committee had to act ex officio as the referee of the match, Barrenechea Montero, He saw no action. Simeone He was punished with three-game suspension.
Couto stomp Simeone
curiously, that season, Argentina suffered in the flesh a similar play in a match that pitted the Barcelona y al Athletic. This time it was the Portuguese Fernando Couto who stepped on the Argentine player who also needed medical assistance after the game but declared: “what happens on the field, stays in the field”.
The league ended with both teams qualified for the UEFA Cup as Athletic and Athletic finished fifth and sixth respectively. Simeone Y Guerrero, with that play, sharpened one rivalry clubs already large for many years that still endures because of the greatness of both entities and who have lived many years in the First Division and, normally, competing for the same goals at the top of the classification.
