Madrid’s derby descended into chaos, as players pleaded for peace with fans in balaclavas

It is one of Spanish football’s most iconic fixtures, but Sunday’s 1-1 draw between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

The build-up to the match at Atletico’s Estadio Metropolitano had already been tense, amid claims on social media that fans were intending to racially abuse Real striker Vinicius Junior.

In the game’s second half, both teams were taken off by the referee as play was suspended because of home fans throwing objects at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The match restarted around 20 minutes later, after Atletico players spoke with balaclava-wearing supporters in the stands, with home striker Angel Correa eventually scoring a 95th-minute equaliser to cancel out Eder Militao’s opener.

So, what happened and what could the consequences be?

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Why was the game stopped?

The trouble started after Militao’s 64th-minute strike. As Courtois celebrated, objects were thrown towards him from the section of the ground where Atletico’s radical ‘ultra’ fans congregate, behind the goal at the south end of the Metropolitano stadium.

Courtois, who played for Atletico from 2011 to 2014, brought this to the attention of referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer and an announcement was made over the stadium loudspeakers, following La Liga protocol in such circumstances, saying the game could be suspended if the behaviour didn’t stop.

Meanwhile, Busquets Ferrer gathered both teams near the centre circle. Atletico captain Koke spoke with Courtois, then he and Atletico defender Jose Maria Gimenez ran behind the goal to speak with the fans. Manager Diego Simeone also approached them, making a gesture for them to calm down.

Both teams then went down the tunnel, as the stadium announcer confirmed a 10-minute suspension and a warning that “if this behaviour does not stop, the game will not be finished”.

With both sides now in the dressing rooms, after around 10 minutes had passed another announcement told supporters that the game would restart in five minutes. There were then loud whistles as Madrid’s players returned and begin a warm up. Courtois also went back to take his place.

TV cameras showed Simeone giving his players a pep talk in the tunnel before they returned to restart the game. The Argentine coach then gestured again to the Atletico ultras behind Courtois’ goal, putting his fingers to his head, asking them to think.

Busquets Ferrer’s report later stated that objects, including three lighters and a bottle of water, were thrown towards Courtois in the 64th, 65th and 67th minute. It said captains and delegates from both teams, match directors, the security co-ordinator and a Spanish FA delegate gathered in the match officials’ dressing room and were warned the game would be suspended if the throwing of objects continued. Play eventually resumed 17 minutes after the stoppage, according to the referee’s report.

Correa bundled home a goal in the fifth minute of added time to give Atletico a point, with the home side’s Marcos Llorente also shown a red card in the 99th minute for a challenge on Madrid substitute Fran Garcia.

Who are the Atletico ultras?

The Frente Atletico fans group was formed in the 1980s, and has a reputation for holding radical right-wing views and being involved in violence.

In 1998, Real Sociedad supporter Aitor Zabaleta was attacked and killed by Frente Atletico members in a bar near Atletico’s old Vicente Calderon stadium.

Deportivo La Coruna ultra Javier ‘Jimmy’ Romero Taboada died after a pre-organised fight between Deportivo and Atletico fans before a game at the Calderon in November 2014.

In May 2018, an Atletico ultra was fined €3,005 and banned from all sports facilities for 12 months after launching a balloon featuring a Nazi swastika symbol from the crowd during a goalless draw at home to Real Betis the previous month.

That year, Atletico were also ordered to close a section of their stadium after fans displayed a far-right banner during the Europa League final against Marseille. In 2022, they were ordered to do the same over a Nazi salute made by a supporter — although this was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In recent years, Atletico’s club hierarchy have taken steps to distance themselves from their radical fans, moving to end links with the club which had included space to store flags and material in the Calderon and preferential access to match tickets for home and away games. In 2014, Atletico de-registered Frente Atletico as an official fan group.

“We cannot expel the entire sector because there are some good people in that (area of the ground),” club chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin told Spanish TV station Cuatro after calls for the Frente Atletico to be banned outright following Taboada’s death in 2014. “It is impossible to have control over those who say they are Atletico fans and then behave outside the values of sport.”

Atletico continue to have an emotional connection with their more hardcore supporters. Players traditionally celebrate good results with that section of the stadium after games, a ritual that also took place on Sunday night.

Why was there so much tension around this game?

There has been plenty of controversy around the Madrid derby in recent years.

Vinicius Jr has regularly been the subject of racist abuse before, during and after matches, most notoriously last year when a mannequin dressed to resemble the Brazilian was hanged by its neck from a bridge near Real’s Valdebebas training ground before a Copa del Rey derby. In December, four members of Frente Atletico were charged over that incident.

Fans have previously chanted “Vinicius, you are a monkey!” outside the Metropolitano and in the build-up to Sunday’s derby, posts on social media, apparently made by Atletico fans, called on fans to wear masks to the game so they could abuse Vinicius Jr with impunity. No racist abuse of Vinicus Jr was reported by authorities immediately following the game.

Before kick-off on Sunday, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said nobody at the club was “anti-racist or racist” — before backtracking and saying “we all have a responsibility to fight against racism” later in the day.

The Athletic did not witness any racist chants against Vinicius Jr in the vicinity of the Metropolitano before kick-off — but it was far from a calm atmosphere.

Hundreds of fans chanted “Vinicius, you are different!” at the entrance to the south end of the stadium, where Atletico ultras tend to sit. There was also tension when some fans passed by wearing Real Madrid shirts, against the backdrop of a heavy police presence.

There were chants of “Sons of b****es” aimed at Madrid supporters and some fans threw bottles and leftover food at them. Some supporters who filmed the scenes on their phones had objects thrown at them.

Home fans did not forget Vinicius Jr once inside the stadium. His name attracted the most jeers of all the Madrid players when the line-ups were read out and he was whistled whenever he touched the ball.

Why was Courtois targeted in particular?

Courtois has regularly been a target for Atletico supporters since he joined Real Madrid in 2018. He spent three years at Atletico during one of their most successful periods, winning La Liga in 2013-14 and reaching the Champions League final that season (where they lost to Real).

Atletico fans have at times been angered by Courtois’ comments since he joined Madrid, which they have taken as a lack of respect to his former team. The Belgian has a plaque on Atletico’s Centenary Players’ Walk for having made more than 100 appearances for the team, which is often vandalised before Madrid derbies.

Courtois’ plaque was once again full of debris on Sunday night and during the match he was whistled every time he touched the ball.

Have matches in Spain been stopped before?

In January 2022, a Copa del Rey round of 16 game between city rivals Real Betis and Sevilla was abandoned after an object thrown from the stands hit Sevilla midfielder Joan Jordan on the head.

That game was replayed behind closed doors at the Benito Villamarin stadium 24 hours later, with no fans admitted. The Spanish FA (RFEF) ordered a partial closure of Betis’ ground as punishment, but the club overturned the ruling on appeal. They were ultimately fined €36,000.

When Vinicius Jr was racially abused by Valencia fans at their Mestalla stadium in May 2023, play was temporarily stopped while the stadium’s speaker system broadcast calls for abuse from the stands to stop.

The RFEF at first ordered a partial closure of Mestalla for five games, which was reduced to three games on appeal. Valencia were eventually fined €27,000.

Just last Thursday, Espanyol’s game against Villarreal in La Liga was temporarily suspended after a fan threw a bottle of water at the referee.

There have been many other incidents of objects being thrown onto the pitch. When speaking after Sunday’s game, Simeone recalled when Courtois was hit by a lighter thrown at him by fans at Real Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, when Atletico won the 2013 Copa del Rey final at their neighbours’ home. No action was taken.

Cristiano Ronaldo was hit by a lighter thrown by Atletico fans at their old Calderon home in February 2014. Atletico were then fined €6,000, with the RFEF committee deeming the offence to be “light”.

What did managers and players say?

Simeone blamed his side’s ultras but also said Courtois should not have provoked fans. He reminded reporters that the same thing had happened to Courtois as an Atletico player at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu ground in 2013.

“The club will have to take a decision on those who have provoked these incidents,” he said at a press conference. “We don’t need those people. But that doesn’t justify the situations that incite that. Be careful: sanction the one who provokes and the one who throws the lighter.”

Atletico captain Koke also spoke after the game. “What we wanted was to play and for it not to happen any more,” he said. “Our people said they felt provoked and that’s why they wanted to defend themselves. But they can’t throw things.”

Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “Nobody liked stopping the game but I think he (the referee) did the right thing.”

What punishments could Atletico face?

Busquets Ferrer’s match report will be analysed by the RFEF before a decision is made on what action will be taken.

There are various punishments available to Spanish football authorities, including fines and/or a total or partial stadium closure, depending on how severe the offence is judged to be.

After the game, Atletico released a statement. It read: “Atletico 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 has already been identified. 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.”

(Top photo: Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)