Atletico Hit With Away Ticket Ban For Five Matches After UEFA, RFEF Sanctions

Atletico Madrid will not sell tickets to season ticket holders for their next five away matches after the club was hit by two sanctions by the governing body of European football UEFA and Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the La Liga side said.

Last week, Atletico were fined 30,000 euros ($32,568.00) that came with a suspended ban for selling tickets to their away fans for a UEFA competition match after the fans showed “racist, discriminatory” behavior in their side’s 4-0 defeat against Portuguese side Benfica in the Champions League.

Earlier this month, the RFEF mandated that they play their next three home matches with partial stadium closures following the suspension of their match against rivals Real Madrid due to objects being thrown onto the pitch.

“The damage caused to the image of Atletico and its fans, the vast majority of whom have behaved in an exemplary manner, is difficult to repair,” Atletico said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The seriousness of the matter and the responsibility to look after the image of our club has forced the entity to take this measure while all those involved in such incidents are identified.”