Atlético de Madrid has successfully reduced the partial closure of their stadium, the Metropolitano, from three matches to just one, following incidents in their derby against Real Madrid.
The club will also face a fine of €3,000. Atlético won’t be appealing further and will refund affected fans for this match in their 2025-26 season tickets.
Originally, Atlético was handed a three-game partial stadium closure by the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) Competition Committee. This punishment targeted the south end of the stadium due to incidents during the second half of the derby. However, after appealing, the sanction has been reduced to just one match. The closure will now only apply to this Sunday’s game against Leganés, which is also Supporters’ Club Day. The upcoming home games against Las Palmas and Alavés will no longer be affected.
In their appeal, Atlético de Madrid argued that the initial punishment was too harsh, given the nature of the events. The affected area of the stadium was the lower south end, specifically sectors 127 to 133, from where objects were thrown towards Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
Advertisement
Latest Press Conference
We’re on Social Media
Understanding that most fans in this section behaved properly, the club has announced it will refund the cost of this game to the affected fans as part of their season ticket for next year. “We recognize that this impacts many fans who were not involved in the incidents, so we will refund the corresponding match in their 2025-26 season ticket,” the club said in a statement.
This sanction is separate from another proposed by the Antiviolencia commission, which suggested a complete 15-day stadium closure for Atlético and a larger fine of €65,000. The High Council of Sports emphasized the importance of maintaining football as a safe and respectful space for fans, where passion for the game must be balanced with respect and civility.
In addition to appealing the punishment, Atlético has taken further steps to address the issue. The club has permanently banned four fans involved in the incidents and announced that they won’t sell away tickets to members of their “Grada de Animación” section for the next five away games across all competitions, including matches against Betis, PSG, and Sparta Prague.