'I made a mistake' - ex-Celtic star apologises as flower row causes uproar at Champions League match

Former Celtic star Jeremie Frimpong has apologised to Atletico Madrid supporters after being accused of disrespecting one of the club's long-standing traditions.

The ritual of placing a bouquet of flowers at one of the corner flags before home games at the Metropolitano Stadium has taken place over the best part of three decades.

76-year-old Margarita Luengo, one of Atletico's most iconic fans, has placed the flowers in the same spot on each matchday since 1996 in a custom which began as a tribute to her favourite player, Milinko Pantic.

Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is tackled by Marcos Llorente of Atletico Madrid during the Champions League match at the Metropolitano. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

They have become the most famous flowers in Spanish football but they were at the centre of controversy during Atletico's Champions League meeting with Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.

The La Liga outfit came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a second half double from Julian Alvarez after Piero Hincapié had given the German side the lead on the stroke of half-time in a match which saw both sides reduced to 10 men.

During the celebrations for Leverkusen's opener, the visiting players made their way to the corner flag where Margarita's flowers were laying at the side of the pitch, only for Frimpong to kick them into the advertising boards.

It was an act which sparked uproar in the stands with scores of Atletico fans getting out of their seats to angrily gesticulate towards the Dutch defender while home centre-back José María Giménez also confronted the Leverkusen man and his teammates.

Frimpong has since issued an apology on social media, admitting that he was unaware of the significance of the flowers when he booted them off the side of the pitch.

Posting on X, the 24-year-old wrote: "After the game yesterday, I learned about the tradition of the bouquet of flowers at the Metropolitano. I didn’t know about it and at the time of the goal, I got carried away with excitement and I made a mistake. Sorry to the Atletico fans and especially to Margarita."

Frimpong could land Celtic a major cash injection during the January transfer window thanks to the sell-on fee inserted into the transfer that took him to Leverkusen three years ago. The right-back has been a massive hit in Germany having helped Xabi Alonso's side lift their first ever Bundesliga title last season.

Frimpong's form has attracted interest from the English Premier League with Manchester United and Liverpool strongly linked with a move for the Dutch international, who is reported to have a release clause of £35m. Should the German champions sell him for that amount that could see Celtic receive a payment somewhere in the region of £7m, with reports suggesting the Parkhead side are due 30 per cent of any profit made on the £11.5m Leverkusen spent securing his services in January 2021.