Atletico Madrid expected to be punished

The Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee will decide during its weekly meeting whether to punish Atletico Madrid for the derby incidents against Real Madrid.

The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw in La Liga, saw Atletico fans throw projectiles at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after he celebrated scoring the opening goal.

The referee ordered the players from both teams to leave the pitch in the 68th minute and head to the changing rooms for 10 minutes in order to calm the fans down.

According to the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, Atletico Madrid will definitely be punished by a partial closure of the stands at the Civitas Metropolitano stadium.

It continued, “In the worst case, Atletico Madrid could face a fine and a complete closure of its stands.”

Article 15 of the Disciplinary Code states: “When, during a match, there is a disruption of order or a threat to the safety of referees, players or coaches, or material damage, injuries, invasion of the field, display of offensive symbols or chanting, or disruption of the course of the match, the organizing club shall bear responsibility, unless it proves its commitment to its duties and takes the required preventive measures.”

The second paragraph of the article states: “To determine the seriousness of the events, the surrounding circumstances shall be taken into account, such as the occurrence of injuries or the absence of injuries, the assessment of the clear danger that could have arisen, unless it had been avoided thanks to the vigilance of the organizer, the impact of the events on the course of the match, the presence or absence of a precedent, the number of people involved, and, in general, all other factors that the Disciplinary Committee may reasonably estimate, in addition to considering factors such as the negative or negligent attitude of the organizing club or its failure to quickly identify the perpetrators and bring them before the competent authorities.”

The newspaper pointed out that if the derby events are considered serious, especially since the match was stopped, Atletico will be subject to a complete closure of the stadium, for a period ranging from one match to an entire season, with a fine ranging from 6 to 18 thousand euros, according to Article 76.

If the incident is considered a mere serious incident, Atletico will be subject to a partial closure of the stadium for one match according to Article 107, in addition to a fine of up to 6 thousand euros.