The Atletico Madrid must play its next match in the local League of Champions of Europe before an empty stadium because of the shouting racist fans who cast their players against rivals.UEFA imposed the punishment yesterday after investigating allegations that the Atletico fans were racist and violent in a match played the past 1. ° October before the joint French Marseilles.
A panel of appeals from UEFA said that Atletico must face the Dutch team PSV Eindhoven on November 26 at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid without the public present. A punishment of playing a second match behind closed doors was deferred for two years.
However, Atletico's lawyers indicated that the team will appeal the verdict in the Court of Abitraje for Sport.
"I do not think there any evidence to indicate that we are a racist team," said lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo to AP.
The Atletico Madrid had previously appealed the punishment of playing two matches in the Champions League with at least 300 kilometers from Madrid.
A third party veto was postponed for five years.
The coach of Mexico's Atletico Madrid, Javier Aguirre, will remain suspended for the next two matches in the Champions League: Liverpool before the next week, and before November 26 against PSV, for allegedly having insulted a player from Marseille .
The team also was fined 150,000 euros.
