At Atletico's home ground, the club's logo is prominently displayed on the pitch directly before the tunnel entrance. Following the final whistle of the Champions League semi-final first leg on 29/4, White walked directly across it en route to the changing rooms.

Ben White stepping on the Atletico Madrid logo while entering the Metropolitano stadium tunnel. Photo: Marca

This action immediately drew a fierce reaction from coach Simeone, captured in a video published by Spanish newspaper Marca. The Argentine tactician pulled his son, winger Giuliano Simeone, away from White before delivering a sarcastic pat on the English player's shoulder.

White appeared to respond to Simeone before being pushed backward, though the footage does not clearly show if Simeone was the one who pushed him. Subsequently, Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi had to escort his teammate into the tunnel.

Ben White steps on Atletico Madrid logo, leading to an exchange with an opponent. Video: Marca

In major Spanish stadiums, stepping on a team's logo is often considered a sign of disrespect.

Last year, TNT Sports conducted a quick survey on this issue, asking several players whether stepping on a host club's logo when playing away was disrespectful. Some, including Virgil van Dijk and Dominic Solanke, denied this perspective.

During the Atletico – Arsenal match, Viktor Gyokeres initially put Mikel Arteta's squad ahead with a first-half penalty. However, Julian Alvarez leveled the score, also from the penalty spot, following a handball by White himself.

The most significant controversy, however, occurred when referee Danny Makkelie overturned a penalty decision after a collision involving David Hancko and Eberechi Eze. Coach Arteta later stated he was "furious" with the decision, suggesting the Dutch referee had succumbed to pressure from Simeone and the Atletico crowd.

Arsenal has not reached a Champions League final since 2006, and neither they nor Atletico have ever won the competition. The winner of this tie will face either PSG or Bayern Munich, who delivered an explosive first leg match, with the French side securing a 5-4 victory.