Atletico president ´worried´ over Marseille return

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says he is “worried” about his side’s Champions League match at Marseille on Tuesday after a Spanish court sentenced a supporter of the French side to jail for attacking a police officer.

“I am not scared, what I am is worried. We are going to be protected at all times by the police. We are going to play a match and not to be put on trial,” he was quoted as saying on Saturday by the Internet site of sports daily Marca.

“Atletico has always stayed on the sidelines of this. We have nothing to do with this matter. At no time did we ever ask for any punishment. It’s a Spanish justice matter. I am not a judge nor a policemen.”

A Madrid court on Friday sentenced Marseille supporter Santos Mirasierra to three-and-a-half years in prison for acts of violence before the start of the French side’s Champions League match at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium on October 1.

Before the court issued its sentence, Atletico said it had received threatening e-mail from Marseille fans warning of retaliation during the two side’s return tie at the French club’s Velodrome stadium on Tuesday if Mirasierra was convicted.

Cerezo has asked supporters not to travel to Marseille for the match, noting that the club has already qualified for the next round.

Atletico players and officials will arrive in Marseille on the day of the match and leave immediately afterwards in a bid to avoid incidents amid tensions between their supporters.

During his trial, Mirasierra denied throwing a chair during fighting between Marseille fans and Spanish police before the match, but admitted pushing a policeman, saying he was defending a female Marseille supporter.