In recent years, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meetings have not just been tense at the Santiago Bernabeu or the Metropolitano, but also at their training ground stadiums. The pair have faced off at under-19 level on numerous occasions, with managers Fernando Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa nearly coming to blows.
Last year the pair had to separated during a touchline bust-up, with Torres also receiving insults from Real Madrid fans, as he was sent off. Arbeloa called his former Liverpool teammate ‘retarded’ on multiple occasions, while Torres told one of his abusers in the stands that ‘I’m coming up there now, clown’, after he was dismissed.
Fernando Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa set aside their differences on Sunday after some tense meetings in recent seasons.#AtleticoMadrid #RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/99TyOUiCi8
— Football España (@footballespana_) March 18, 2024
The pair buried the hatchet ahead of their latest meeting though, shaking hands and sharing a hug on Sunday. The previous meeting, Arbeloa and Torres had deliberately avoided each other.
Los Rojiblancos won the match 2-0, giving them a seven-point lead over their rivals in the Madrid regional league. To the surprise of many, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was in the stands watching too.
🚨 FULL-TIME: Fernando Torres' Atleti U19 defeated Álvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid 2-0.
That makes it 2/2 today, with the B team also beating Raúl González's Real Madrid Castilla 2-0 earlier today.
Madrid is red and white. ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/NGiwt33DUL
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 17, 2024
