Atletico Fans at the Metropolitano-
Furious Atletico Fans Bombarded the Pitch After Real Madrid’s Goal Provoking a 20-Minute Suspension for the First Time EVER.
Credit: Shutterstock, Marta Fernandez Jimenez
The heated Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid was dramatically suspended last night after Atletico fans launched objects onto the pitch following Real’s opening goal, sparking scenes of chaos at the Metropolitano. Furious Atletico fans bombarded the pitch after Real Madrid’s goal, provoking a 20-minute suspension for the first time EVER.
Carnage During the Madrid Derby as MASKED ULTRAS Controlled the Crowd.
Absolute scenes in Madrid. Chaos exploded at the Metropolitano when raging Atletico fans bombarded the pitch with objects after Real Madrid grabbed the lead. The ref had no choice but to stop the game, sending both teams to the tunnel as things got seriously heated.
Fans Erupted After Real Madrid Lead
It all kicked off in the 64th minute when Eder Militao’s header put Real Madrid ahead. The response from the home crowd was immediate and furious, with debris, including lighters, raining down from the stands behind Thibaut Courtois’ goal. In the end, after several warnings over the intercom, the atmosphere grew so hostile that the referee was forced to stop the game for a staggering 20 minutes, while Atletico’s captain Koke and manager Diego Simeone pleaded with masked Ultra Leaders in the stands to calm the crowd.
For 20 tense minutes, the stadium was a cauldron of fury, with the match hanging in the balance. It was a scene of total CHAOS, as a group of ultras sporting balaclavas conversed with the members of the Atletico team to control the situation.
This would be the first time in history that a Madrid derby would be halted for this long due to crowd disturbances. Considering the tension at these sorts of games, it is no small feat.
As the game finally resumed after a 20-minute pause, questions are once again being raised about Atletico’s handling of their extremist fanbase. And while the club’s response has been to deflect some of the blame onto Real Madrid players for ‘provoking’ the situation, the spotlight remains firmly on the Metropolitano, and not for the footballing reasons the club would hope for. As the first Madrid derby ever to be stopped for 20 minutes for crowd disturbances, this was a historical night for Atletico for all the wrong reasons.
Simeone & Koke Pleaded with the Ultras.
Both Simeone and Koke walked to the edge of the stands, desperate to control the situation, urging Ultra supporters to stop the disruption and contain the crowd.
Atletico Madrid have been accused in the past of being “in bed” with Neo-Nazi factions within the Ultra Groups.
The narrative from the club was slightly off as well after this incident, with some of the blame being directed towards Real players for “provoking” the ultras, even by Simeone himself.
To add fuel to the fire, the Atletico players went over to Ultra stand to celebrate at the end of the match, causing a furious reaction from some of the ordinary fans in the stadium.
There have been past allegations that the “Atletico Front” (Frente Atletico) was being employed as unofficial security by the club to maintain the peace. Various members of the Atletico Front have also been convicted for a string of murders, organised racketeering, and drug trafficking offences throughout the years. Nazi paraphernalia has been confiscated on numerous occasions, and there are groups known to the Intelligence Services within the ultras that are openly neo-nazi. According to several left-wing leaders, the unofficial connection between the club and its most radical fanbase continues, and Atletico are still turning a blind eye to their Nazi element within the ultra groups, perhaps worried it will open up a can of worms.
Concerns have also been raised about ties between some far-right factions within politics and violent football ultras, particularly in cities like Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona.
Certain groups have latched onto nationalist grievances, gaining traction in small but vocal pockets. The far-right political party Vox has stirred up anti-immigration and nationalist sentiments, feeding into this growing trend.
Although Spanish authorities have cracked down on extremism, critics fear that this radical undercurrent is being underestimated, with well-known links to notorious groups like Combat 18 in Italy, the UK, and Germany. For Atletico Madrid, the game was yet another reminder of the toxic undercurrent lurking beneath their passionate fanbase.
With the Far Right gaining traction in some parts of Europe, is this perhaps something that needs to be tackled sooner rather than later?
