The Fondo Sur section of the Metropolitano was the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons on Sunday night during the Madrid derby. It was from the South Stand, where their ultras and the far-right group ‘Frente Atletico’ are located, that lighters were thrown at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Captain Koke Resurreccion and manager Diego Simeone and asked the fans to stop their behaviour after the game was suspended for 15 minutes, and after the match, El Cholo was clear in asking for them to be expelled from the stadium.
Cold by Jan Oblak 🇸🇮🥶 pic.twitter.com/ai7p9V5Kkg
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) September 29, 2024
However the Atletico Madrid players were criticised for going across to the same fans and thanking them for their support at the end of the game, as is their tradition every match. As pointed out by Abraham P. Romero though, not everyone at the Metropolitano was pleased with them either.
After #AtleticoMadrid players went to applaud the Fondo Sur last night, where the incidents took place in the Madrid derby, other parts of the stadium whistled them.
📹 @AbrahamPRomero pic.twitter.com/zV3j3fsft3
— Football España (@footballespana_) September 30, 2024
Fans could be heard whistling the players from elsewhere in the stadium, despite the fact the ground was emptying out rapidly, as they applauded the Fondo Sur. Within the ground, the Atletico Madrid ultras a re a group that divides opinion, with some feeling vehemently that they are a negative for the club.
Diego Simeone is a poor loser in SPORT – that is exactly what this is… SPORT. He exhibited this exact same behaviour in 2014 when Real Madrid beat them in the CL final and Varane kicked the ball towards him. He is like a virus that has infected the other half of Madrid. It simply cannot be that one half of the great city of Madrid is this out of control, racist and mean. They are the same people… some households are split down the middle between the 2 teams. I think La Liga and Football in Spain should charge him with bringing disrepute to the City. Pay very careful attention to Simeone’s words towards Courtois because it is the same justification he used in the Vini Jnr racist case earlier. Like Trump he cannot disown these crazy fans that are nothing but fat hoodlums in masks. His team paying tribute to those fans after the match is utterly shameful.