Atletico Madrid say two supporters face liftetime bans after being identified as taking part in the crowd disturbances that marred the Madrid derby on September 29.
Atletico’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid was stopped for 15 minutes after objects — including lighters and plastic bag with items in — were thrown by home supporters behind the goal that Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was defending in the second half.
A club statement on Friday said: “The efforts to identify those involved in the incidents of Sunday’s derby that are being carried out by our Security Department in collaboration with the Police have led to the identification of two more people who took part in the altercations. Both are club members and will be permanently banned.”
Atletico said the investigation into the episode is ongoing and the club promised to permanently expel any other members who were found to have been involved.
The club also said the recent fan trouble had “seriously damaged the club’s image”.
The Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) competition committee this week told the club they must close part of their Civitas Metropolitano stadium for the next three La Liga matches.
The section — which seats around 5,000 people — is where fans threw objects on the field, prompting the referee to stop the game and return players to their dressing rooms.
Last December, four members of Frente Atletico — the radical group of Atletico fans — were charged over the hanging of an effigy of Vinicius Junior from a bridge near the Real Madrid training ground in January 2023, hours before the Madrid derby in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
Hundreds of Atletico fans, meanwhile, were filmed singing monkey chants ahead of a meeting between the sides at the Metropoloitano in September 2022. Similar chants were heard ahead of a derby earlier this year.
Before the Madrid derby, messages on social media had circulated among radical Atletico fans urging fellow supporters to wear masks to the game to avoid detection by cameras when hurling racist insults, specifically calling Vinicius Jr a monkey.
Following the social media posts, La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and Atletico were all in contact, with increased vigilance promised, along with protection from police.
(Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
