Atletico Madrid News
La Liga denounce 24 controversial chants after racism controversy in Atletico vs Real Madrid
During last Sunday’s hard-fought Madrid Derby in which Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid emerged as 2-1 victors, tempers flared between both sides.
For starters, there were a number of Atletico Madrid fans, both before and during the match that were openly racist towards Vinicius Jr., in the aftermath of the controversy sparked by his tendency to dance during celebrations.
With this very issue igniting the animosity between both sides, it seemed like a whole host of the Atleti supporters were in violent spirits with their behaviour on the night.
So much so that it has been revealed in a report by AS that as many as 24 chants sung by the hosts have been denounced by La Liga, that have been deemed to be racist, xenophobic, violent and overall, just intolerant in sport.
It is also mentioned that the phrases will be investigated by the Anti-Violence Commission.
While some of these chants were solely aimed at Vinicius Jr., the others were focused on the home support expressing their animosity towards the away fans.
Standout examples of chants include statements such as “You are a mo**ey, Vinicius, you are a mo**ey!”, “Vinicius, die!” and “Come the plague, the madridista arrives with those horns that are obvious. The madridista, son of a bi**h, the Atletico Front enjoys it with his death, oe oe, oe!”.
While a majority of those singing these chants are reportedly from the Atletico Madrid supporters, it is also mentioned some Real Madrid fans also engaged in the stands.
The complaint to the Anti-Violence Commission from La Liga includes the chants both inside and outside the Civitas Metropolitano, as well as the throwing of objects on the pitch during the game.
There is no doubt that Atletico Madrid are bracing themselves for a busy summer ahead as they look to address the future of some of their star players. One of them is Saul Niguez, who has fallen out of favour under Diego Simeone and could leave the club.
A recent report from Mundo Deportivo has offered an update on the future of the Spaniard, suggesting that the player has once again become a market attraction.
The versatile star was on loan at Chelsea last season, but his spell at Stamford Bridge was far from ideal, as he featured in less than 500 minutes of league football. He returned to Atletico Madrid in the summer, and even though he wanted to leave the club, a move did not materialise.
Saul was even linked with a move away from Atleti in January. But Valencia, who were interested in him at the time, could not afford the deal, particularly because of the player’s salary and transfer fees.
The report from Mundo Deportivo states that Valencia have retained their interest in the player. But in addition to Los Che, Saul has been targeted by two other Spanish teams in the form of Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla.
Rayo have expressed the desire to sign Saul in the coming season. But they are likely to face economic difficulties in funding a move for the midfielder. The same can be said for Sevilla.
Saul’s current contract at Atletico Madrid expires in 2026, a deal that was agreed when the player was at his peak. But the long contract has now come back to haunt Atleti, as they desperately look to get rid of the Spanish international.
With his suitors likely to face financial trouble in weighing up a move, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Saul in the coming summer.
Saul is not the only Atletico Madrid player facing an uncertain future, with Axel Witsel’s father also hinting at a possible exit recently.
