Atletico has taken action after the incidents at the Derbi Madrileno. A fan has been banned from the stadium for life, and face coverings are no longer welcome.
Immediately after the Madrid city derby between Atletico and Real, which ended 1-1, the host announced that they wanted to quickly work through the incidents together with the police. After the away team took the lead through Eder Militao midway through the second half, the situation escalated. Atletico ultras threw objects in the direction of Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was positioned directly in front of them. The game had to be stopped for a long time.
Courtois’ provocative celebration is also said to have heated up the atmosphere, which Atletico coach Diego Simeone underlined after the game. However, one thing was clear to everyone: the misbehaving supporters should be punished.
Atletico already drew initial consequences on Monday evening. A fan was banned from the stadium for life. In addition, the Colchoneros issued a ban on face coverings with immediate effect for the matches in the Civitas Metropolitano, which had seen a new attendance record in the city derby. “From now on, anything that helps to prevent a person’s face from being recognized in order to hide their identity” is prohibited. Violators would be subject to immediate expulsion from the stadium.
What punishment will Atletico get?
According to Atletico, the punishment of the fan, who was apparently convicted beyond reasonable doubt, is just the beginning of a tougher approach to hooligans. “Our security service continues to work with the police to identify the other people involved. As soon as they are found, they will also be banned from entering our stadium indefinitely,” the club announced in a press release.
Atletico also faces a penalty after the incidents on Sunday evening. There is speculation in the media about a partial exclusion of fans for several games.