The highly anticipated Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid ended in a 1-1 draw, but the match will be remembered for the actions of Atletico Madrid fans, who hurled missiles at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Eder Militao’s second-half goal put Real ahead, but the game was halted for 15 minutes as players were taken off the field due to the disturbing scenes. Courtois, a former Atletico favourite, was targeted with objects, including a lighter, after celebrating the goal towards the section of Atletico supporters.
Atletico pushed forward as the game approached its conclusion, with Courtois making a fine stop to deny Lino. The hosts finally got back on level terms six minutes into injury time via Angel Correa, courtesy of a VAR overturn. Marcos Llorente’s late red card added to the drama.
However, the match’s significance was overshadowed by the unsavory actions of the Atletico fans. This incident, coupled with the recent assault on referee Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez, raises concerns about fan behaviour in Spanish football.
The Spanish FA’s recent directive empowering referees to remove players due to fan misbehaviour must be backed by stringent punishment to deter such incidents.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for stricter measures to tackle hooliganism in Spanish football. LaLiga has strongly condemn the fans hate campaign promoting racist and derogatory acts and will seek to arrest the instigators behind the hate campaign.