Spanish clubs may be punished for not tackling 'ultras'

MADRID (Reuters) - Clubs who do not play a part in helping to banish violent fan groups known as "ultras" from football may be fined, docked points or relegated, the president of Spain's professional league (LFP) said on Thursday.

Spanish clubs may be punished for not tackling 'ultras'

(Reuters)





The government, football authorities and clubs are seeking to crack down on the ultras after a Deportivo La Coruna fan was killed before a La Liga match last weekend in apparently organised fighting near Atletico Madrid's ground.

Atletico have cut ties with their main ultras group, the Frente Atletico, while Deportivo shut part of their stadium where a radical group known as Riazor Blues gather.

"We are going to compile an official list of all the ultras groups," LFP president Javier Tebas told the COPE radio station.

"Clubs that collaborate directly or indirectly with them will suffer economic sanctions and could be docked points or relegated," he added.

"We are going to consolidate the strategy to eliminate ultras from our stadiums."

The ultras, who typically have extreme right-wing political views, have long been part of the Spanish football landscape and most top-flight clubs have treated them with varying degrees of tolerance.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Espanyol are among those to have banned them from their stadiums in recent years.

"I don't know if we are acting late but I feel responsible as LFP president," Tebas said.

"I am asking everyone to be self-critical: the Spanish federation (RFEF), the government sports council (CSD), the police, the fans, the clubs and the media so that we are never too late again."





(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Tony Jimenez)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world