Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid could miss out on €15-20 million if UCL group-stage exit becomes reality
It has not been the most ideal of starts to the season for Atletico Madrid. Los Rojiblancos are already well behind bitter rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona in the La Liga title race while their UEFA Champions League campaign is also in a delicate situation.
Drawn in Group B along with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, FC Porto and Club Brugge, Diego Simeone’s side are currently third in the standings, with just four points from four matches so far in the competition.
Indeed, Atletico have won just one of their four games and find themselves six points behind leaders Club Brugge and two below Porto in second. With Bayer Leverkusen only a point off of them, Simeone & co. find themselves in a muddle at the moment.
Atletico face Leverkusen on Wednesday before completing their group-stage assignment with a trip to Porto in early November. And for them to stand a chance of qualifying, the Colchoneros need to bag all points possible. If not, they will have to hope that results elsewhere go in their favour.
But with the possibility of a group-stage elimination looming large, if such a scenario materialises, it could have a drastic impact on Atletico Madrid’s finances, reports MARCA.
As per the report, the Spanish capital club could stand to miss out on as much as €15-20 million at the very least, in case they do not qualify for the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Not to mention the damage it will bring to the club in terms of pride.
It is no secret that Atletico are in a precarious situation financially and are in need of generating extra income. President Enrique Cerezo had said earlier in the summer that the club would need to make around €40 million, although some sources indicate the figure could be as high as €60 million.
With the situation being as it is, crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage and missing out an additional revenue of around €15-20 million will be a major blow.
It could possibly force Atletico Madrid to sell players in the January transfer window. Joao Felix has already been linked with a winter exit, while Rodrigo De Paul could be another candidate for a possible sale, even though the club president insisted otherwise.
It goes without saying that Atletico Madrid will need to make the most of their upcoming Champions League clashes against Leverkusen and Porto.
Atletico Madrid News
UEFA open investigation against multiple Real Madrid players over celebration vs Atletico
More than two weeks after Real Madrid’s controversial win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, UEFA has sent quite the shockwave to the defending European champions.
In a recent statement, UEFA has announced they have started an open investigation against a series of Real Madrid players for the way they celebrated after winning against Atletico Madrid, about two weeks back.
What is the investigation about?
As reported by MARCA, the European governing body is specifically looking into the actions of Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos, and Vinicius Jr.
The controversy stems from Real Madrid’s celebrations after knocking out city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The celebrations took place near the section of the stadium occupied by Real Madrid supporters, but some actions by the players have drawn scrutiny.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players (Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Daniel Ceballos Fernandez and Vinicius Junior) during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between Club Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid on 12 March 2025,” UEFA said in an official statement.
Rudiger is being investigated for a gesture in which he placed his hand around his neck, while Mbappe reportedly made an inappropriate gesture by touching his genitals.
Vinicius, on the other hand, was involved in heated interactions with Atletico fans both before and after the match, while Ceballos was seen enthusiastically joining the celebrations.
The celebrations from Real Madrid players drew hostility from Atletico Madrid fans for obvious reasons, with the opposition fans resorting to throwing bottles on the pitch.
Jude Bellingham was even among the ones hit by these throwing objects from Atleti fans while Vinicius pointed to the Real Madrid crest on his shirt, which might have played a role in further fuming tension.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, responded to the hostility from Atleti fans by dancing inside the pitch.
UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to review the incidents, although it is very much likely that Real Madrid would appeal against any sanctions placed on the event of any breach.
