Punish violent fans and the players inciting them: Atletico manager Simeone

Diego Simeone calls for action after the Spanish football league’s Madrid derby was halted due to crowd trouble.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says fans who hurled objects onto the pitch, causing their Spanish football league match against Real Madrid to be suspended for more than 20 minutes, should be punished along with the players who he suggested encourage such action.

The city derby was interrupted on Sunday after Atletico fans threw objects onto the field, prompting the referee to stop the game and send the players to the dressing rooms around the 70th minute at the Metropolitano Stadium.

While Real players celebrated Eder Militao’s opener in the 64th minute, Atletico ultras Fondo Sur, who are located in the south lower stands, threw objects towards visiting keeper Thibaut Courtois, who alerted the referee, leading to the decision to halt the match.

After the delay, Angel Correa equalised deep in added time as the game ended with a 1-1 draw.

“My opinion is that people who have committed incidents should be sanctioned by the club. We don’t need these people. We need the people who accompany and support us. They harm the club, but be careful: that does not justify generating situations that we, the protagonists, generate,” Simeone told DAZN Sport.

Atletico defender Jose Maria Gimenez and midfielder Koke Resurreccion went to talk to the fans in the section behind Courtois’s goal.

Atletico Madrid’s midfielder Koke asks supporters to stop throwing items on the pitch after Eder Militao’s goal at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid [Oscar Del Pozo/AFP]

Simeone also asked several times for the fans to behave.

“We all have to help,” he said.

“The people who have thrown those lighters, it’s not right. But maybe it doesn’t help when us, the protagonists, undermine people, charge against people, provoke people and then people get angry.

“People have no other way of doing it, in a bad way, which is not right, but we also have to try to be calm, to understand the situations, that you can celebrate a goal by celebrating it, but not by celebrating it by staring at the stands, charging against the stands, making gestures … because then people get angry.

“Of course it’s not justified, but neither is the initial thing justified because otherwise, we’ll always be victims. The one who throws the cigarette lighter should be sanctioned and the one who provokes should also be sanctioned. This way there is no more laughter and things like that, as you are not sanctioned, you are allowed to do things.”

Atletico Madrid players leave the pitch after the match was suspended by the referee [Oscar Del Pozo/AFP]

A message on the stadium’s loudspeaker said the match was being interrupted for 15 minutes, adding it would be suspended if the problem continued.

Atletico Madrid released an official statement in the early hours of Monday saying they had already identified one of the fans who hurled objects onto the pitch and are working with police to identify others, who will be disciplined.

“Atletico de Madrid wishes to express their rejection of the throwing of objects from a section of the south stand in the 68th minute of the match against Real Madrid. The club’s security department has been working together with the police to locate those involved, one of whom has already been identified,” the club said in a statement.

“The club will apply the internal regime foreseen for very serious cases to the people involved in this incident. These attitudes have no place in football and tarnish the image of a stadium that has experienced a spectacular atmosphere with more than 70,000 spectators in the stands, the vast majority of whom have shown exemplary behaviour.”

Atlético de Madrid wishes to express its rejection of the throwing of objects that took place from a section of the south stand in the 68th minute of the match vs Real Madrid. The club's Security Department has been working with the police to locate those involved, one of whom… pic.twitter.com/bqFaRfoWhe

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 29, 2024

The interruption came a day after the Spanish league said it would ask the police to act against the promoters of a social media campaign that the league said was aimed at promoting racist acts against Vinicius Junior at the derby.

The social media campaign was based on a hashtag encouraging Atletico fans to wear face masks, apparently to make it more difficult for authorities to identify individuals who participate in racist chants or insults.

Social media videos showed Atletico fans before the match chanting “Vinicius is different”.