UEFA announced yesterday that it had opened an investigation into the behavior of four Real Madrid players during their Champions League qualification celebration against Atletico.
It’s probably one of the matches this season that will go down in history as the one that sparked the most controversy. Between Alvarez’s famous penalty being overturned in the penalty shootout and the outbursts of joy that followed from the Merengues after beating their capital neighbor, deemed by some to be too inappropriate, there was plenty of room for debate.
Because beyond the elimination, a sad habit for them when it comes to crossing paths with Real Madrid in Europe, what Atletico didn’t appreciate were the alleged excesses in the way certain players from the Casa Blanca celebrated the victory.
The Colchoneros also did not hesitate to send UEFA images not captured by television channels, showing for example Mbappé touching his genitals as a provocation towards the stands or others, of Vinicius teasing the public with “look at my badge, and cry”…
UEFA has therefore decided to open a case into these alleged violations of their disciplinary code. But what do the players involved really risk? Not much, in the end. The possibility of being suspended for the next match exists, but the chances of it coming to that are slim, if not nonexistent.
Real Madrid Is Not Worried
Moreover, the more successful Madrid club of the two isn’t worried. The likelihood that one of the players involved in this investigation will be sanctioned, at least in sporting terms, doesn’t even cross their minds.
The Merengues expect, in the worst case scenario, only financial sanctions for the four players targeted. This was the case with Diego Simeone (a good example), who made a similar gesture to Mbappé’s in the past, during a victory against Juventus in this same competition. The fiery coach was then fined €20,000, without any suspension.
Finally, Real Madrid will not fail to remind UEFA of all the objects thrown onto the pitch by fans during the players’ celebrations. Moreover, in its report, UEFA also mentions the throwing of objects for which Atlético Madrid has been charged.
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