Atletico Madrid sanctioned after crowd trouble in Real Madrid derby game

Atletico Madrid have been penalized with a partial stadium closure and a fine following crowd disturbances during Sunday’s derby against Real Madrid.

The La Liga match was paused for around 20 minutes in the second half after Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois alerted officials that objects were being thrown onto the pitch by Atletico fans seated behind his goal.

Despite warnings over the stadium’s loudspeakers to stop the behavior, the situation persisted, leading to the temporary suspension of the game.

The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee has now ordered Atletico to close the lower south section of the Metropolitano Stadium, where the incident took place, for their next three home games.

Additionally, the club has been fined 45,000 euros (£37,460) for what the committee described as “very serious” and “completely unacceptable” actions.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Angel Correa scoring a stoppage-time equalizer for Atletico after Eder Militao’s opener for Real Madrid.

Atletico has already identified and banned one supporter involved in the incident.