UEFA ´may lift Atletico sanctions´

UEFA may lift the sanctions it imposed on Atletico Madrid following incidents at its ground during a Champions League match, Spanish press reports said Friday.

UEFA last week ordered Atletico to play their next two European matches at a stadium at least 300 kilometres (200 miles) from Madrid as punishment for crowd disturbances and racist insults against Marseille players during the October 1 match.

Atletico appealed the ruling, and the case it presented to UEFA, including videos of the incidents, may have convinced European football’s governing body to lift the punishment, sports newspaper Marca said.

UEFA postponed the two-match stadium ban to allow Wednesday’s Champions League match against Liverpool to go ahead at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium due to “the organisational and logistical difficulties related to relocating.”

Sports daily AS said the UEFA representative at the Liverpool match, which ended 1-1, was impressed by the friendly atmosphere in the stadium between the supporters, which could influence its decision.

The Spanish government has also pressed for a withdrawal of the sanctions, which also include a 150,000-euro fine and a two-match ban for its coach, Javier Aguirre, for allegedly insulting a Marseille player.

A UEFA decision is expected around the end of the month.