Barrios pays tribute to Koke after silence for his mother

Barrios paid tribute to Koke after a poignant silence in memory of his mother at the start of the match between Atlético and Manchester United. The minute honoured Ana Merodio Borja, the mother of Koke and Borja Resurrección. More than 3,000 English supporters joined the moment of remembrance, which continued after the referee’s whistle.

The match’s first goal came 53 seconds after the tribute: Barrios turned in a fine pass from Baena. He raised his arms to the sky, then held up six fingers in a reference to Koke, making the celebration another deeply moving part of the homage.

After embracing his teammates by the corner farthest from the dugout, Barrios did not have time to make it to the touchline. A shirt was waiting for him there, belonging to the greatest rojiblanco legend. Simeone tried to get him to collect it and show it to the stadium, but Manchester United were already preparing to restart. One of the kit staff then lifted the shirt.