WATCH: Bizarre counter-attack interruption attempt earns Diego Simeone a sending off

It definitely wasn't Diego Simeone but apparently that doesn't matter.

There were peculiar scenes at the Vicente Calderón on Saturday evening as Simeone was sent to the stands for a bizarre reason. Towards the end of the first half of Atletico Madrid's 1-0 win over Malaga this weekend, the visitors were rampaging forward on a dangerous counter-attack which was abruptly halted when a stray ball was hurled onto the playing surface. The ball clearly came from the Atletico dugout but it was also evident that Simeone wasn't the guilty party.

WATCH: Diego Simeone is sent off for a bizarre incident to stop @MalagaCF's counter attack: https://t.co/fdztGo3uXx https://t.co/KPVCQFdNjK

— Sky Sports La Liga (@revistadelaliga) April 23, 2016

After a relatively lengthy consultation process, the referee decided that, being the highest-ranking member of the Atletico backroom team, Simeone ought to be punished and the Argentine was sent to the stands. Guillem Balague was asked about the incident afterwards and he seems confident that, regardless of whether or not the offending party is identified, Simeone will serve a three-game ban which means that he will not be sat on the Atletico bench for the remainder of the La Liga season.