Atlético de Madrid Statement
In the wake of the critical safety incidents that unfolded yesterday in the lead-up to the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final in Bilbao, the club wishes to condemn the insufficient security measures as well as the chaos caused by the unacceptable behavior of some Athletic Club radical supporters, which resulted in highly hazardous situations, both for Athletic fans and for media and security personnel from both clubs. Due to said mishaps, the bus carrying our players and coaching staff had to rearrange its route to the stadium, forcing them to wait inside of it for 35 minutes – although the hotel was only 500 meters away from the San Mames stadium.
Atlético de Madrid insisted on repeated occasions in the days prior to the encounter to both Athletic Club and the Ertzaintza of the need to ensure appropriate protection to the first team and especially to our members with tickets for the game. And to this end, the relevant information was supplied in full detail to the event organizers and authorities (i.e. the list of fans, the buses in which they were traveling, etc.).
Likewise, we condemn the terrible aggression that a group of Atlético de Madrid fans experienced a few hours before the game in a bar near the stadium. Such attack caused serious injuries to an Atlético Madrid member, who had to be taken to a hospital. As soon as the club found out the identity of the affected person, they got in touch with him to inquire about his situation and provide him with the necessary assistance.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident: groups of radical fans harassed and threatened a large number of Atlético Madrid supporters throughout the matchday, and even stormed into bars and restaurants to identify and intimidate them violently. This situation led to scenes of panic that intensified at the gates of the stadium –especially at the entry point of the away supporters– where there were children and families. These events took place despite the fact that throughout the afternoon, Atlético Madrid's security officers repeatedly appealed for the assistance of Athletic Club and the Ertzaintza for the reinforcement of protection measures.
Therefore, in view of the serious nature of the events that took place yesterday and that were provoked by a significant number of Athletic Club supporters –as can be seen in the many images and videos–, and with the aim of preventing further disruptions to the LaLiga match to be played on the weekend of 26/27 April at the Cívitas Metropolitano, we are regretfully obliged to announce our exceptional decision not to sell tickets to away supporters for this fixture. This measure has been agreed on this morning with the Spanish National Police and LaLiga, and Athletic Club have been duly advised.
As ever, we are grateful to our fans who travelled to Bilbao yesterday and cheered and supported the team all the way throughout the match. Atlético Madrid will be refunding tickets costs to those members who were unable to enter the stadium before the kick-off and who, in some cases, couldn’t occupy their seats until the interval. No matter where our team plays, we will keep on pushing for our supporters to be treated with the same respect that any spectator deserves, regardless of the team they support. We will also continue to call for adequate security measures and areas to be made available so that away fans can enjoy the football we love in all stadiums. It is a great responsibility and a challenging task that we must achieve together, with the closest cooperation between clubs and authorities.
On the other hand, none of the unfortunate incidents from yesterday's clash should overshadow the victory of Athletic Club, and we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them on their qualification for the Cup final. Everyone at the club was looking forward to this tournament and the team's elimination is a huge disappointment. Now we must work together to accomplish the rest of the season's sporting targets.
