Spanish Government backs Atlético Madrid in its appeal to UEFA

Spanish Government backs Atlético Madrid in its appeal to UEFA
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By h.b. - Oct 15, 2008 - 7:02 AM

Players and crowd at the Ramón Calderón stadium in Madrid - Photo EFE

Atlético have been fined and will have to play their next three Champions League games away from home following the sanction from UEFA.

The Spanish Government, in the form of the Interior Minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, has supported the actions of the police at the Champions League match held in Madrid between Atlético and Olympique de Marseille, which saw allegations of racist abuse and crowd trouble, leading UEFA to now hand down a three game closure of their stadium. Rubalcaba said he would be working with the club in its appeal to get the sanction lifted adding that the anti-riot police were deployed at the time at the request of an UEFA delegate. Five police were injured in the clashes at the time.

Liverpool star, Fernando Torres, says he is upset by the closure of the Calderón. It will stop him returning to what used to be his home stadium when Liverpool meet Atlético in the Champions League on the 22nd of this month.

Meanwhile the organisers of the Madrid 2016 bid to hold the Olympics have said they find the wave of allegations of racism in Spain as strange. They make reference to the decision of the English Football Federation to decline to play at the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid in a friendly against Spain next February because of racist chants against England players there four years ago. England Manager, Fabio Capello, previously with Real Madrid, has however said he’s happy to play at the stadium.

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