UEFA should sort out their unfair penalty

Atlético de Madrid have traveled to Lyon to defend today their appeal against the UEFA’s ground ban following incidents at a Champions League game. UEFA ordered Atletico to play their next two European games at a stadium at least 300 kilometres (200 miles) from Madrid as punishment for allegued crowd disturbances and racist insults against Marseille players during the October 1 match.

Atletico are showing videos taken by the Spanish police showing that the Marseille fans started the disturbances by ripping off seats and throwing them to the police. They’re also showing the referee act where they don’t reflect any racist insult.

From Atletico de Madrid Fans we firmly believe that is nothing but a personal vendetta from Platini after their countrymen are being the embarrassment of the Champions League, last in the group with zero points.

Orihuela 0 – Atletico Madrid 1: Forlan’s goal was enough

Atlético Madrid achieved a comfortable victory to take back to the Vicente Calderón after they beat Orihuela 0-1 on Wednesday night.

As expected, the quality of Los Rojiblancos overcame Orihuela’s push and Diego Forlán scored the only goal of the game just before half-time as he picked up on a fine pass by Antonio López to slot home from close distance. Atlético are now firmly in a good position to prepare the return leg in two weeks time whilst Orihuela will have to a lot better in the capital if they are to win this tie.

This way, Atlético are in a better situation than other teams of Spanish Primera, like Real Madrid, Villarreal and Sevilla, which lost against 2ªB rivals.

Orihuela: Alberto, Kili, Benja, Iker, Andrés, Inarejos, Pereira, Juanjo Martínez, Santi Villa, Ibán Espadas, Esparza

Atlético Madrid: Leo Franco, Pernía, Pablo, Perea, Antonio López, Raúl García, Camacho, Luís García, Miguel de las Cuevas (`60 Banega), Forlán, Sinama-Pongolle

Villarreal 4 – Atletico Madrid 4: Why do it simple?

Why do it simple when you can make it complicated? That’s what Ever Banega maybe thought before doing his unnecessary tackle to Capdevilla and seeing a well deserved second booking in the minute 37. Until that very moment, Atletico Madrid had managed their 0-2 advantage comfortably against a very good team as are Villareal. After Banega was sent off the story changed and Villareal came back 4-2 within the first 22 minutes of the second half. Only the inspiration of Simao and the pride of the team could make the miracle and scored two goals in the last ten minutes of the game.

Platini: Shame on you

I’m still in shock after the UEFA sanction against Atletico de Madrid. Since when UEFA think that they can sanction how the Spanish Police Corp act? Who they think they are, the UN? Does Platini know what fair play is? I don’t think so. It seems that he can’t accept that his countrymen are doing rather bad in the group and wants to give them a hand.

By closing the Vicente Calderón Stadium for 2 games they’re setting a very dangerous precedent and I hope that it blows in their hands, as it’s a disgrace for football. The Police have leaked the videos that they took showing the Marseille savages throwing to the policemen heads the chairs that they had previously ripped off from the stadium. Let’s hope that the Atletico de Madrid appeal goes through!

FC Barcelona 6 – Atletico 1: Embarrassing

It has taken me 4 days to find the energy to write about one of the most painful moments as an Atletico de Madrid fan.

I was lucky enough not to see the 0-6 that Barça got three years ago in Vicente Calderon, so probably the game on Saturday was the biggest humiliation that I’ve attended as an Atletico fan. I can still believe that the team let some of the goals. Not just the third goal, scored by Messi because when Coupet was ordering the wall, as the Argentinean hadn’t requested the wall. Some of the other goals were as embarrassing as the third one. Seeing Eto’o receiving the ball just outside the penalty area with no one from Atletico within 10 meters was even worse.

Anyone can say that it’s just three points, but I personally think that a defeat like this isn’t just three points, as it’s more painful and damages the moral of the fans and, if they’re a bit professional, of the squad.

Three years ago, the 0-6 defeat against FC Barcelona was the trigger for Fernando Torres to move out of Atletico. Let’s see if what we suffered the other day won’t have the same effect in Agüero.

Preview: FC Barcelona v Atletico de Madrid

Tonight’s game between Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona is understood by many like a showdown between Sergio Agüero and Lionel Messi, the two most in-form strikers of La Liga.

Only three days after both Argentineans led their teams to respective Champions League triumphs, Agüero takes Atletico to face Messi and FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou stadium (10 pm).

Agüero scored a top class goal on Wednesday in the 2-1 win against Marseille to keep Atletico’s dreamt start in the Champions League. Messi came on in the second half and scored both goals – including the injury-time winner – in Barcelona’s 2-1 win at Shakhtar Donetsk.

Aguirre has warned already that Agüero can’t fully performed as he’s carrying and ankle knock and he hasn’t been given any rest in the first games of the season.

“I’m tired,” the 20-year-old Aguero told reporters after the victory over Marseille. “And it’s a difficult game. But it’s Barcelona.”

From his part, Messi was rested ahead of the Shakhtar match due to fatigue, with both players not having had much of a break since leading Argentina to gold at the Olympics.

But that won’t stop either from playing on Saturday.

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Atletico de Madrid 2 – Marseille 1: Giant Step Forward

Sergio Agüero led the second Atletico de Madrid win in two Group D appearances with a 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille as the UEFA Champions League made a triumphant return to the Vicente Calderón after 12 years. The Argentinean took just four minutes to show his endless class with a world class opener and although Mamadou Niang equalised soon after, Raúl García scored the winner midway through the first half.

Atletico de Madrid v Marseille Preview

Atletico de Madrid hope to overcome the disappointment from last Sunday by achieving the second victory in the Champions League against Marseille.

It seems that Atletico are not coming in their best moment after losing to Sevilla 1-0 and after injuries and fatigue caught up with Aguirre’s team. Now Atletico are facing their toughest month in October, including league games against FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

“We have to go out with the same attitude that we had before playing PSV Eindhoven, which is to go out and play football,” Aguirre said. “We’re at home and that’s something to take into account.”

Aguirre will be able to count with Heitinga, but fellow defenders Seitaridis and Pablo Ibañez are out after picking up knocks against Sevilla, while midfielder Maniche hasn’t recovered from the back injury that he picked in Getafe.

Striker Diego Forlan and forward Simao Sabrosa are missing due to injury, and their absence has deprived Aguero of adequate rest after a lengthy summer.

Aguirre conceded that he may have to field an untested team, but The ‘Vasco’ hopes the circumstances will serve to motivate his team.

“It’s true we have various players out to injury and (Ever) Banega left the Sevilla match with an ankle injury, but this is a Champions League game and that cures everything. The players are very motivated,” Aguirre said.

From their part, Marseille must get a result or risk damaging its chances of getting out of the group.

“We’re obliged to get a result and we’re going for that since we started the competition badly,” Niang said. “We have to catch up, whether it be at Madrid, PSV or Liverpool. We know it won’t be easy because Atletico Madrid is a team in form at the moment.”