Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso called ‘Madrista son of a b***h' by fans after ugly confrontation over Antoine Griezmann: Reports
Atletico Madrid player Mario Hermoso was insulted by his team's fans during an altercation related to Antoine Griezmann.
Atletico suffered a 2-0 defeat to Villareal at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. After the contest ended, a group of 30 to 40 fans started to insult Griezmann.
The incident infuriated Hermoso, who went on to confront the fans for their comments. However, that resulted in the situation getting more dire.
Fans allegedly called the player 'Madrista son of a b****'. The comments were a dig at Hermoso's past as he came through the ranks of rivals Real Madrid's academy.
That said, the player never actually made a senior appearance for Los Blancos. He made his pro-debut for Espanyol before eventually making a move to Atletico back in 2019. He was also part of Atletico's La Liga winning team in 2020-21.
Hermoso was not the only player involved in a clash with the fans. Renan Lodi reportedly showed the fans his middle finger.
Atletico Madrid's La Liga season started on a positive note after the club secured a 3-0 away win against Getafe in their season opener. A brace from Alvaro Morata and a goal from Antoine Griezmann signaled signs of good things to come.
However, they succumbed to a defeat in their second game. To make matters worse, Nahuel Molina was sent off in the dying minutes of their match against Villareal.
Griezmann came on as a substitute during the match. However, he failed to make an impact that would have given his team a positive result.
Once the crown jewel of Atletico Madrid fans, Griezmann hasn't found his best form since his return to the club from Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid take on Valencia next
Atletico will next make a trip to Mestalla to face Valencia. Gennaro Gattuso's team are coming off a defeat as well. They were beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao at San Mames this past weekend.
Both clubs have managed nine points from their first two league games of the season. Atletico occupy the eighth spot in the league table while Valencia are in ninth.
The next game is crucial for both teams as the result will have massive consequences in terms of getting their season off to a good start.