UEFA set double Atletico Madrid punishment decision after Arsenal clash

Atletico Madrid were charged by UEFA following behaviour in the stands during their 4-0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal in October

Atletico Madrid have been slapped with two fines and a one-match suspended ban for fans following their supporters' behaviour during their Champions League clash with Arsenal earlier this season. The Spanish side were charged by UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) for racist and/or discriminatory conduct, as well as throwing objects.

A statement from the CEDB says that they have decided: "To fine Atletico de Madrid €30,000 (£26,256) and to ban Atletico de Madrid from selling tickets to its away supporters for the next (1) UEFA competition match, for the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters.

"Said ban from selling tickets to its away supporters is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision. To fine Atlético de Madrid €10,000 (£8,752) for throwing of objects."

The incidents occurred during Arsenal's emphatic 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in late October. A devastating second-half display saw the Gunners tear through their visitors at the Emirates Stadium, securing another crucial win against top-quality opposition.

A Viktor Gyokeres double was accompanied by strikes from Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli. This all followed some pre-match incidents that appeared to unsettle the visiting side ahead of the big encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

Marca reported that Atletico Madrid's squad were left "angry" after a lack of hot water at the stadium meant they couldn't shower following their training session, with the team instead returning to their hotel to refresh. Arsenal later apologised for the inconvenience.

Despite these off-pitch issues, it was the on-field action that left Mikel Arteta beaming with pride over his team's performance. He said: "I'm extremely happy and proud of the performance and the results against a really good side.

"I was very impressed when I analysed them and what I've seen today about them as well. So, I knew about the difficulty of it. It required a lot of aggression and a lot of patience as well, and the way they managed the context of the game and the way they can manipulate their behaviour was really impressive.

"With it being 0-0 at half-time, even though we generated two or three big chances, we had to stay patient, but at the same time, increase a little bit, set some areas to damage them more. We've done it, and then in this Champions League, I think we were very effective as well."

Despite Arsenal's victory on the pitch, it was the behaviour of the visiting fans in the stands that caused a stir. Allegations of racist and/or discriminatory conduct from the Atletico end were reported, along with object throwing, resulting in fines and charges from the governing body.

Atletico Madrid supporters now face a potential ban from their a UEFA match if they re-offend within the next year, due to the suspended sentence imposed on them.

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