The eagerly awaited Madrid derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, played at the Estadio Metropolitano, ended in a draw (1-1). The visitors opened the scoring with a goal from Eder Militao, but the red-and-whites equalised thanks to a goal from Correa in stoppage time. However, the Atlético de Madrid fans were the protagonists by throwing objects at Thibaut Courtois after the Belgian was provoked.
Official statement from Atletico Madrid
Despite the intensity on the pitch and the excitement of the final minutes, the match was marred by incidents in the stands. In the 68th minute, just after Eder Militao 's goal, objects were thrown from a part of the south end at Thibaut Courtois after he provoked the south end. Among the objects thrown, lighters and other items were reported to have landed near the goalkeeper.
In response to these events, Atlético de Madrid issued a statement in which it expressed its rejection of the behaviour of some of its fans . " Atlético de Madrid would like to express its rejection of the throwing of objects from a part of the south end of the stands. This occurred during the course of the match against Real Madrid ," begins the club's official statement.
Atlético de Madrid stressed that, since the moment the incidents occurred, its security department has been working closely with the police to identify those responsible. "From the moment the launches occurred, the club's security department has been working alongside the police . The aim is to locate those involved, and one of them has already been identified," they added in the statement.
Atlético de Madrid has also stressed that it will apply severe disciplinary measures against those found responsible . "The club will apply the internal regime provided for very serious cases to the people who have been involved in this incident." This is how Atlético de Madrid concluded its statement, making it clear that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in its facilities.
Atlético de Madrid defends the rest of its fans
The club also took the opportunity to highlight that the vast majority of the more than 70,000 fans present showed exemplary behaviour. "These attitudes have no place in football and tarnish the image of a Metropolitano stadium that has experienced a spectacular atmosphere with more than 70,000 spectators in its stands. The vast majority of them have shown exemplary behaviour," they stressed.
With this message, Atlético de Madrid seeks to preserve the respect of its fans in its stadium, and to ensure that acts like these never happen again. Although the derby was an exciting football spectacle, the off-field incidents have sparked a debate about security in stadiums. We will see if Atlético de Madrid finally receives some kind of sanction for the actions that occurred in the Madrid derby.