Fan incidents become the main topic of the Madrid derby

68:30 – just before 10:30 p.m. local time – read on the stadium scoreboard when Sunday's derby between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid was interrupted.

Four minutes earlier, Éder Militão had given Real Madrid a 1-0 lead at the Metropolitano. Now both teams went into the tunnel early, with over 20 minutes left to play.

Not long after Militão's goal, Atlético fans gathered at the other end of the stadium, known as “Fondo Sur“ – the south end – had started throwing objects onto the pitch towards Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Courtois, a former Atlético player, had enthusiastically celebrated Militão's goal. Lighters, plastic bottles and at least one plastic bag were thrown, contents unclear.

Courtois drew the attention of referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer and handed him a lighter that he had picked up from the pitch. The referee went to the sidelines to speak to the match delegate and shortly afterwards an initial warning to the crowd was heard over the stadium loudspeakers: “If this behavior does not stop, the game will be suspended.”

The game continued for a short time. But more objects were thrown. Again Courtois stopped to retrieve them and the game was stopped. This time Busquets Ferrer spoke to the coaches of the two teams, Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti.

“It was the right decision by the referee,” Ancelotti said later. “It was right. Nobody likes to stop the game, but I think the referee did a good job.”

Simeone and two of Atletico's most experienced players, club captain Koke and defender José María Giménez, went over to speak directly to some of the fans behind the goal. Television cameras showed two men in the crowd wearing balaclavas.

“It was a moment full of tension,” Koke later told DAZN. “It can’t happen on a football pitch, but because of four we can’t blame everyone.” [people].”

“Think about the club, think about your team,” Simeone said at a post-match press conference when asked what those talks were about. “They don’t help the team. They said it wasn't their fault. They said they were provoked.”

play

Atleti-Real Madrid were suspended after fans threw lighters onto the pitch

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid players return to the dressing room after fans threw objects onto the pitch.

In total, three warnings were sent to fans across the edge of the stadium asking them to stop. When they were ignored, Busquets Ferrer sent the teams back to their dressing rooms. The fans were informed that the game would initially be interrupted for ten minutes. If the incidents didn't stop, they would go on hiatus indefinitely.

Some fans, including those with small children, left their seats. The game was now scheduled to end long after 11 p.m., on a Sunday evening.

At 68:30 the teams emerged from the tunnel after a 15-minute wait. After a short warm-up phase for the players, the game continued at 10:45 p.m

Understandably, it took some time to get the game going again. The atmosphere was flat. Simeone signaled to the crowd to make some noise. There was some late drama at the end. To the delight of the home fans, Ángel Correa equalized to make it 1-1 in the 95th minute. Then Marcos Llorente was sent off. But after the game it was all about the stoppage, what it said about this game and where the blame should lie. Speaking to the media afterwards, both Simeone and Koke suggested that Courtois was at least partly responsible for the incident.

“We all have to help,” Simeone told DAZN on the sidelines. “Obviously the fans were throwing lighters – like at the Bernabeu when Courtois was our player and was hit in the head with a lighter.” [in 2013] – is not correct. But we protagonists don't help when we provoke the fans… We have to know how we can celebrate a goal with these gestures without looking at the stands.

“As players, we have to be smarter,” Koke said.

In their post-game press conferences, both reiterated their assessment. “That doesn’t justify it, but we as protagonists can also help prevent people from reacting like that,” said Simeone. “That doesn't justify it, but be careful with what we do, myself included.” Ancelotti did not want to enter into a discussion about what further measures should be taken. “I’m just a football coach,” he said. “I control the sporting side.”

An hour and a half after the final whistle, Atletico released a strongly worded club statement. They condemned the throwing of objects from the crowd, said they were cooperating with police and that one of the fans allegedly involved had already been identified. In such “very serious cases” they would apply the association's internal rules on the matter, they said.

The verdict of a significant portion of the 70,000 Atletico fans who filled the Metropolitano for the derby was also clear.

After the game ended, Atletico's players did their usual lap around the pitch and thanked the fans for their support. They then headed to Fondo Sur. As the players applauded this ending, the rest of the stadium whistled.