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