Atletico Madrid have announced that they will not sell tickets to season ticket holders for their next five away matches. The decision comes following recent sanctions imposed by UEFA and the Spanish FA (RFEF) due to fan misconduct.
Last week, Atletico were hit with a partial stadium closure for three home matches and fined $50,000 following crowd trouble during the Madrid derby against city rivals Real Madrid. The referee suspended play for nearly 20 minutes after objects were thrown at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from the lower stand of the Metropolitano Stadium. The RFEF has since ordered the closure of the lower South end of the stadium, where the offending fans were located, describing the incidents as “absolutely unacceptable.”
In addition, Atletico Madrid were fined €30,000 and handed a suspended ban on ticket sales to away fans for a UEFA competition match, following racist behaviour exhibited by their supporters during a 4-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica.
In a statement, Atletico expressed concern about the impact on the club’s image, while emphasising the good conduct of most of their supporters.
“The damage caused to the image of Atletico and its fans, the vast majority of whom have behaved in an exemplary manner, is difficult to repair,” the club said. “The seriousness of the matter and the responsibility to protect the image of our club has forced us to take this measure while those involved in these incidents are identified.”
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