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Atletico Madrid faces legal obstacles in removing their ultras from the stands after disturbances during the derby. The club can only ban individuals who are identified as offenders.
The Madrid derby is still making headlines in the Spanish media two days after it was played. The reason isn't the goals or moments from the Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid (1:1) match, but rather the behavior of some home fans at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
To recap, the match was halted for about 15 minutes due to the rampage by Atletico’s ultras, who threw lighters, bottles, and sandwiches at Real’s former Atletico goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois, who made 111 appearances for Atletico during his career, laughed and gestured at the fans, saying: "More! More!" Atletico’s coach Diego Simeone publicly called for Courtois to be punished for provocation, as well as for stadium bans for the fans involved in the incidents. One of the culprits has already been identified and banned for life from attending the stadium.
Calls to remove Atletico’s ultras from the stands
Spanish media report that out of 17 inappropriate chants from the stands, 15 came from the section where home fans were seated. These chants included insults, and recordings and photos are being reviewed to identify those who threw objects at Real’s goalkeeper.
The individuals responsible are part of Atletico’s ultra group, Frente Atletico, which has around 2500 members. During the match, some members of this group were seen giving Nazi salutes. Many have demanded the removal of this group from the stands.
Marca explains why this is impossible. The club has stated that due to laws preventing the mass removal of individuals unless they are directly linked to past incidents, they cannot collectively ban this group from the stadium. Atletico can only ban individuals who have been identified as lawbreakers.