partial closure of the Wanda Metropolitano due to Nazi salutes
Atlético de Madrid has been sanctioned by UEFA with a partial closure of the Wanda Metropolitano for the reception of Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday. In the first leg, some Spanish fans were caught giving Nazi salutes.
Atlético de Madrid will be deprived of some of its supporters for the reception of Manchester City on Wednesday. While Diego Simeone’s men are a goal behind before the quarter-final second leg, UEFA has announced to the Spanish club that it will have to close part of the Wanda Metropolitano (around 5,000 seats). According to the Daily Mail, the Spanish champion has been accused of discriminatory behavior by UEFA. During the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, Colchoneros supporters were spotted giving Nazi salutes from the stand.
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Atlético seized the CAS
The Spanish club have also been ordered to display a banner reading « #NoToRacism » containing the UEFA logo. As well as the obscene gestures, some supporters have been accused of spitting at City fans. A steward was allegedly assaulted. For its part, Sport reports that Atlético finds the closure of part of the Wanda Metropolitano « disproportionate ». The club has requested the suspension of the sanction from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and intends to highlight the impossibility of partially closing a stand, all the tickets having been sold, on the eve of the meeting.
This match is all the more important for the Colchoneros as they have a goal to make up for after the defeat in the first leg (1-0, goal from De Bruyne). Highly criticized for his style of play, Diego Simeone received support from Thomas Lemar. « You just have to look at the statistics since the coach arrived (in 2011, editor’s note). Maybe it’s not pretty to see, but it’s effective. Atlético wins, and that’s the most important, » the community told AFP. That’s good, it takes a victory for the Spaniards on Wednesday (to be continued at 9 p.m. on RMC Sport 1) to see a seventh Champions League semi-final in their history.
