The decision of the Spanish Appeals Commission is in favour of Atlético Madrid. Following the controversial events during the derby against Real Madrid, the penalty originally imposed on the club has been reduced.

Commission grants Atleti's appeal

The events of October 2, 2024 at Metropolitano, when objects were thrown at Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, contributed to the interruption of El Derby Madrileño. Based on the preliminary investigation, RFEF Disciplinary Committee imposed strickt sanctions on Atlético - three matches with closed sectors and a financial fine. The club, disagreeing with the level of the penalty, lodged an appeal, stressing that the sanctions were disproportionate to the offence.

Following the appeal, the Appeals Committee partially upheld the club's arguments. In a statement, it said that instead of three matches, the stadium would be partially closed for only one match and the financial fine was reduced to €3,000. Affected by the closure will be sectors 127-133, located at the bottom of the south stand, from where lighters were thrown towards Courtois.

It is also worth mentioning the much more severe sanction proposed by the Anti-Violence Commission, which involved the complete closure of the stadium for a two-week period and a fine of €65,000. This penalty has not yet been examined by the Disciplinary Committee.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak 

Atlético take matters into their own hands: statement and away ban

Atlético Madrid, in response to the sanctions imposed, issued a statement once again condemning the incidents involving its fans. The club expressed its stance in maintaining a zero-tolerance policy towards violence and stressed that it was working with the police to identify the perpetrators.

Just hours after the derby, four people involved in throwing objects were tracked down and immediate action was taken against two of them. The club's authorities stress that the sanctions imposed, although affecting a small group of culprits, will also affect the many loyal supporters, who behaved impeccably throughout the match.

Atlético Madrid have also taken strong measures against their group of away fans. Following repeated problems with fan behaviour, the club has decided not to sell away tickets to season ticket holders from the Grada de Animación for the next five away games. The decision applies to matches against Betis, Unió Esportiva Vic, PSG, Mallorca and Sparta Prague.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak 

This step is a response to two serious incidents involving Atlético fans - the first related to events during a derby against Real Madrid and the second to a match against Benfica Lisbon, where some Atlético ultras showed Nazi gestures. For these incidents, the club was banned from one away Champions League match and fined €30,000, with the proviso that it will not be repeated for another year. Atlético's authorities stress that this type of behaviour, although committed by a small group, damages the club's image and is difficult to rectify.