Atletico Madrid hit with stadium sanctions following fan disruptions
La Liga club Atletico Madrid have been hit with stadium sanctions following their fans unruly behaviour in Sunday’s derby against archrivals Real Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The Diego Simeone-led side will play their next three home games with partial stadium closures, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said on Wednesday.
The Competition Committee of the RFEF has decided to shut the section of the stands inhabited by “Frente Atlético”, the club’s ultras group, for three matches.
The committee added that a monetary fine of €45,000 has been placed on Atletico for failure to control their fans along with the “partial closure of sections 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, and 133, which constitute the ‘Lower South End’ referred to in the referee’s report.”
During the Madrid derby, Atletico fans were throwing objects on the pitch after Eder Militao’s opener for Los Blancos, forcing the match to be suspended for about 20 minutes by referee Busquets Ferrer after some of the objects hit goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Argentine forward Angel Correa scored late in the game to secure a 1-1 draw for Atletico, who were reduced to 10-men after Marcus Llorente received his marching order.
This suspension means that the areas where the club’s ultra fans would usually occupy will be empty for the matches against Leganés (October 20), Las Palmas (November 3), and Alavés (November 23 or 24, date yet to be confirmed).
