UEFA to consider Atletico appeal on Friday

UEFA will hear Atletico Madrid's appeal against its ground ban following incidents at a Champions League match on Friday.

UEFA 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.

UEFA postponed the two-match stadium ban to allow last week's game against Liverpool to go ahead at Atletico's Vicente Calderon stadium due to “the organisational and logistical difficulties related to relocating.”

The Spanish government has pressed for a lifting 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.