It was when the melee erupted and players from both sides went thundering into each other that I felt a sense of regret.
I'm not for a single second condoning bad behaviour on a football pitch but seeing the dramatic final stages of Manchester City's confrontation with Atletico Madrid unfold made me realise how much I miss playing.
I've read and listened to a lot of the fallout from the Champions League quarter-final and much of it has condemned Diego Simeone and his team. I'm puzzled about the criticism, to be honest, because I absolutely loved what I saw and what they contributed to the spectacle.