(AP) – A longtime Real Madrid supporter, Rafael Nadal appeared with a Atletico Madrid jersey during the club’s Europa League match against Arsenal last week, making headlines across Spain and attracting a wave of social media reactions from fans from both teams.

Rafa couldn’t avoid the issue when he arrived in the Spanish capital for this week’s Madrid Open.

Well, there is a problem with today’s society, that to be a true supporter of one team, it seems that you have to be anti another team. I just support Real Madrid. I have a lot of friends that are from Atletico. They are playing in a competition in Europe against an English team. I just went there to support Atletico Madrid. They invited me. I just wanted to enjoy the day, to see a great football match.

Rafa was captured on camera with the jersey around his neck during the team’s 1-0 win at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Thursday, a result that allowed Atletico to reach the final of Europe’s second-tiered club competition.

MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 7: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal holds a press conference of the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 7: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal holds a press conference of the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 7: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal holds a press conference of the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 7: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal holds a press conference of the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 7: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal holds a press conference of the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 7: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal holds a press conference of the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain on May 7, 2018. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Rafa Nadal press conference during day three of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 6, 2018 in Madrid, Spain (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Rafa Nadal press conference during day three of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 6, 2018 in Madrid, Spain (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Rafa Nadal press conference during day three of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 6, 2018 in Madrid, Spain (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Rafa Nadal press conference during day three of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 6, 2018 in Madrid, Spain (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The (club’s) president gave me a T-shirt as a gift. At night it was a little bit chilly, a little bit cold, and I just used it as a scarf. That’s all. But it’s always the same stuff. Maybe there’s too much hypocrisy, or I would say you people in the media have to write too many things, so you have to explore some stupid things.

Rafa also discussed Sunday’s “clasico” between Barcelona and Real Madrid, which ended in a 2-2 draw after several questionable calls made by the officiating crew at Camp Nou Stadium.

I don’t have to talk about football referees. The poor referee will have a lot on his back because you have been speaking about them for hours and hours. I’m not going to contribute to that show. I think it was a great football match, nice to see. I really enjoyed the football.

Rafa said he favors after-game sanctions to try to make the referees’ life easier.

“Maybe I am very passionate about football, and I’m not criticizing football. But at the end of the day, the referees have a very hard job. It’s very difficult to make decisions when you are under pressure. There are sometimes many players that try to trick other players … It’s just a show.

Source: AP

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