Atletico Madrid have been punished with a partial stadium closure for three matches and a €45,000 ($50,000; £37,000) fine after crowd trouble halted Sunday’s game against Real Madrid for almost 20 minutes.
Objects were thrown from the stands at the Metropolitano stadium, leading to the referee suspending play. The match restarted 17 minutes later, after Atletico players spoke with balaclava-wearing supporters.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has now ordered the closure for three matches of the lower south end of Atletico’s ground, where those fans were located, along with the fine. Atletico can appeal the decision.
What happened?
Atletico’s home match with Real Madrid descended into chaos after the away side took the lead through Eder Militao in the 64th minute. Shortly afterwards, Atletico fans began to throw objects onto the pitch at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois, who played for Atletico from 2011 to 2014 on loan from Chelsea, brought this to the attention of the referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer. Video footage released by Spanish broadcasters Movistar on Monday showed the Belgian saying: “I can’t play like this.” An announcement was made over the stadium loudspeakers, following La Liga protocol in such circumstances, saying the game would be suspended if the behaviour didn’t stop.
Courtois throws a lighter from the Metropolitano pitch on Sunday night (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
After Courtois alerted Busquets Ferrer to more objects being thrown, the referee gathered both teams near the centre circle. Atletico captain Koke spoke with Courtois and then he and Atletico defender Jose Maria Gimenez went behind the goal to speak with fans. Manager Diego Simeone also approached them, making a ‘calm down’ gesture.
Both teams then went down the tunnel as the stadium announcer confirmed a 10-minute suspension after objects continued to be thrown at Courtois. There was a warning that “if this behaviour does not stop, the game will not be finished”.
After around 10 minutes had passed with both teams in the dressing rooms, another announcement told supporters that the game would restart in five minutes. There were then loud whistles as Madrid’s players returned and began a warm-up. Courtois also went back to take his place.
TV footage at the time showed Simeone giving his players a pep talk in the tunnel before they returned to restart the game. He then gestured again to the Atletico ultras behind Courtois’ goal, putting his fingers to his head, asking them to think.
The match eventually finished in a 1-1 draw as Angel Correa equalised for Atletico in the 95th minute. Following the final whistle, the home players went to celebrate with the fans behind Courtois’ goal — as they do after almost every home match — in a move that was not welcomed by many other supporters in the ground, who reacted by whistling.
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After the game, Atletico manager Simeone said Courtois had some responsibility for what happened because of the way he celebrated Madrid’s opening goal. TV pictures showed him mouthing, “Vamos” (come on) as he moved his hands towards the stands in what seemed to be a beckoning gesture. Moments before the goal, chants of “Courtois die” were heard.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked for his thoughts on this interpretation of events in his pre-match press conference before Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Lille.
He said: “To answer about Courtois’ behaviour when they’ve been shouting ‘die’ is deflecting the shot. Football doesn’t need violent people. It’s not just Atletico, it doesn’t matter. It’s better that the violent ones leave us alone.”
The RFEF called the events “absolutely unacceptable” and didn’t accept Atletico’s “allegations concerning previous acts, which in no case would be capable of justifying (the events)”.
“Even if this concerned small objects, there’s no doubt that they were capable of causing some type of injury, bearing in mind the distance from which some of the objects were thrown, which could have impacted the opposition team goalkeeper they were aimed at in the head or face,” the decision read.
“While this concerns an action on the one hand which is not at all representative of the club’s fans, for Atletico Madrid’s part, sufficient measures were not taken to prevent such serious incidents in their mass action and the result.”
Who’s behind the decision, and what informed it?
The Spanish FA’s competition committee (CC) is the disciplinary body that rules in cases such as these.
The CC is a technically independent body that rules on punishments and disciplinary action at various levels of the Spanish game. It is made up of three members; one appointed by the Spanish FA, one by La Liga, and one by Spain’s Superior Sport Council, a governmental body that is headed up by the country’s sports minister. Its president is Maria Josefa Garcia Cirac, a lawyer and former regional politician with the centre-right Popular Party.
The committee took into account the referee’s report compiled by Busquets Ferrer, as well as conclusions on what happened from La Liga — which included observations from both clubs.
Busquets Ferrer talking with Courtois during Sunday’s match (Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images)
Busquets Ferrer’s report stated that objects, including three lighters and a bottle of water, were thrown towards Courtois in the 64th, 65th and 67th minute. It said captains and delegates from both teams, match directors, the security coordinator and a Spanish FA delegate gathered in the match officials’ dressing room and were warned the game would be suspended if the throwing of objects continued. Play eventually resumed 17 minutes after the stoppage, according to the referee’s report.
The match report did not make mention of the sandwich that was thrown towards the Real Madrid goal after the players returned following the stoppage. TV footage released by broadcaster Movistar on Monday showed Dani Carvajal picking it up and throwing it off the pitch.
Has La Liga taken other action?
On Monday, La Liga said they had already filed complaints with national police over social media messages, apparently posted by Atletico supporters, that called for fans to attend Sunday’s match wearing masks so they could abuse Vinicius Jr with impunity. No racist abuse of Vinicus Jr was reported by authorities immediately following the game.
La Liga also released a statement saying they had passed on evidence of various instances of insulting or derogatory language being used by fans at Sunday’s game to the superior sport council (CSD)’s anti-violence commission and to the Spanish FA’s competition committee — including toward Courtois.
It noted lighters and bottles had been thrown onto the pitch by fans, and provided information on the exact location of the individuals responsible, noting also that several supporters were wearing balaclavas or disguising their identities by other means.
Atletico collaborated with La Liga to include their version of events in the competition body’s report — as did Real Madrid, which is notable because Real Madrid and La Liga do not have a good relationship, in large part because of the club’s committed support to the European Super League project. La Liga president Javier Tebas was even the target of a recent failed court action, instigated by Madrid, to have him removed from his position over a legal technicality dating back to 2021.
What have Atletico said?
After the game, Atletico released a statement. “Atletico Madrid wishes to express its rejection of the throwing of objects that took place from a section of the south stand in the 68th minute of the match vs Real Madrid,” it read.
“The club’s security department has been working with the police to locate those involved, one of whom has already been identified. The club will apply the internal regime foreseen for very serious cases to the people involved in this incident.
“These attitudes have no place in football and tarnish the image of a stadium that has experienced a spectacular atmosphere with more than 70,000 spectators in the stands, the vast majority of whom have shown exemplary behaviour.”
The scene before kick-off at the Estadio Metropolitano (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
On Monday, Atletico said they had “permanently expelled as a member the person identified yesterday by the police, in collaboration with our security department”.
The club added that its security team was “continuing to work with police to identify the rest of those involved, who will be permanently expelled as soon as they are located”.
Since Sunday’s match, Atletico have also changed their statutes so that fans who wear masks to avoid identification can be immediately expelled from the stadium.
The RFEF said these were “not preventive measures” but rather “reactive ones taken as a consequence of events that happened which have already produced serious sporting consequences and media repercussions that at this point are irreparable”.
“This committee positively values the actions taken by the club subsequent to the events happening, even if it considers these to be insufficient until the total identification of spectators involved is achieved,” the decision added.
What’s the Real Madrid view?
One Madrid source — who, like all those cited here, spoke to The Athletic anonymously to protect their position — said club president Florentino Perez was angered by what happened at the Metropolitano, and that he was further angered by the sight of Atletico players greeting the ultras behind Courtois’ goal after the final whistle.
Coaching staff sources reflected on how Madrid’s previous trips to the Metropolitano have also involved controversy and ugly scenes.
In September 2022, there were racist chants about Vinicius Jr before, during and after kick-off. Three individuals were finally identified, with Ateltico’s help, and were banned pending further investigation. La Liga highlighted and denounced 24 racist offences relating to the match, but the Madrid public prosecutor’s office decided not to take any action. Among their justification for such a decision was the observation that the racist chants directed at Vinicius Jr only “lasted a few seconds”.
Within the coaching staff, they know this kind of behaviour isn’t limited to Spain and are aware of the recent arrests of ultras in Italy. That is why it is not surprising that Ancelotti said that “violent people have no place inside or outside football”.
What might happen next?
There may be further action taken by the CSD’s anti-violence commission. That is a body formed by representatives from La Liga, the Spanish FA, national police, the Spanish home office and the CSD.
After holding a meeting on Monday morning, it released a statement to express its “absolute rejection of violent behaviour that damages the image of Spanish football”. It said it “condemns the serious incidents that took place” and “takes a positive view of the speed with which the match referee acted”.
The statement added: “Available images are being analysed in order to determine who is responsible for such conduct and to propose the corresponding sanctions. Such acts carry severe sanctions, including a ban on access to sporting venues and financial penalties.”
The CSD’s anti-violence commission does not have powers to bring sanctions itself, but in previous instances it has recommended action be taken by separate bodies at the CSD. It is next due to meet in mid-October.
(Top photo: Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
