Atletico Madrid Receives Three-Match Ban for Civitas Metropolitano After Madrid Derby, per Report

The Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation handed Atlético Madrid its punishment for the crowd's dangerous actions during the Madrid derby.

Atlético Madrid's stadium will be partially closed for three matches, / IMAGO/Matthieu Mirville

The south end of the Cívitas Metropolitano will be closed for Atlético Madrid's next three matches, per Marca.

The club faced a disciplinary hearing for its fans' behavior during the Madrid derby on Sunday, Sept. 29. The match was temporarily suspended by referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer after the crowd behind Thibaut Courtois' goal threw objects at the keeper.

Three days after the incident, Marca reported the Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation "has decided to close the south end of the Metropolitano (sectors 127 to 133) for three games." The club must also pay a fine of €45,000 ($49,707).

The punishment was limited to the sections of the stadium that instigated the dangerous scenes in the La Liga fixture. Minutes after Real Madrid's Éder Militão found the game's opening goal in the second half, the match temporarily stopped when Courtois showed the referee various objects, including lighters, that were thrown his way.

The official then sent both teams down the tunnel for ten minutes before resuming the match in the 70th minute. In the aftermath, Pilar Alegría, the Spanish Minister of Education and Sports, promised "forceful and severe" sanctions coming to Atlético Madrid.

Just last season, the same end of the venue was investigated and disciplined for racist chants toward Athletic Club's Nico Williams. Atlético Madrid appealed the decision, though, and ultimately did not have to partially close the stadium after it banned the guilty party from the Cívitas Metropolitano.

Atlético Madrid can once again appeal the decision in the following days.

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