{"id":9145,"date":"2026-05-05T12:40:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=9145"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:40:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:40:53","slug":"atletico-madrid-make-complaint-to-uefa-ahead-of-champions-league-clash-with-arsenal-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=9145","title":{"rendered":"Atletico Madrid make complaint to UEFA ahead of Champions League clash with Arsenal | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\"UEFA\t<\/div>
Atletico Madrid do battle with Arsenal for a place in this year\u2019s Champions League final (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Atletico Madrid have reportedly issued a complaint to UEFA after a group of Arsenal fans set off a fireworks display outside their team hotel on the eve of the side\u2019s Champions League semi-final second leg.<\/p>\n

Tensions will already have been high after Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez exchanged penalties to leave the tie evenly poised after a compelling first leg at the Metropolitano last week. <\/p>\n

Arsenal are the favourites to advance through to this year\u2019s final and will no doubt be buoyed after their Premier League title rivals Manchester City slipped up at Everton on Monday evening.<\/p>\n

But just hours after City\u2019s 1-1 draw on Merseyside, Arsenal supporters looked to gain an extra advantage over Atleti by trying to unsettle and disrupt Simeone\u2019s squad, who were staying at the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch in east London.<\/p>\n

According to Spanish publication AS, the \u2018perfectly orchestrated\u2019 fireworks display began at 1:30am GMT \u2013 before a further round of pyrotechnics wreaked havoc at 2am GMT.<\/p>\n

The report claims Atleti bosses were quick to report the dark arts to UEFA, while adding that the incident is likely to be discussed during the teams\u2019 pre-match meeting.<\/p>\n

A short video circulating on social media shows a series of pink-coloured fireworks whistling past Atleti\u2019s hotel before letting off loud explosions in the night sky.<\/p>\n

\u2018Who would do such a thing? [laughing emoji],\u2019 one Arsenal fan quipped in response to the footage.<\/p>\n

Another joked: \u2018Massive coincidence.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I hope they got the lasagna as well,\u2019 a third wrote.<\/p>\n

A separate report from Marca claims several of Atleti\u2019s staff and playing squad were directly affected by the fireworks display. <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsupports HTML5
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/p><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Before last Wednesday\u2019s first leg in Madrid, Arsenal made complaints of their own about the state of the Metropolitano pitch.<\/p>\n

The Gunners were said to be unhappy with the length of the grass inside the stadium and asked UEFA to carry out an inspection just hours before kick-off in the Spanish capital. <\/p>\n

\u2018I need to tell you about the grass war that took place just about an hour ago,\u2019 CBS Sports reporter Guillem Balague explained at the time.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal\u2019s ground staff came in thinking the grass is too high, \u201cWe\u2019re not happy with it\u201d. They asked UEFA to actually measure it. They thought it was Simeone creating some dark arts.<\/p>\n

\u2018After a while, UEFA said \u2018no, it\u2019s actually 26mm\u2019. The limit is 30mm. It\u2019s 21-30mm. By the way, it was the same as when they played\u00a0Barcelona\u00a0here.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Atletico\t<\/div>
Alvarez scored from the spot to cancel out Gyokeres\u2019 earlier penalty in an absorbing first leg (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Facing the media ahead of tonight\u2019s meeting, Mikel Arteta reassured fans that his players would become \u2018beasts\u2019 in their efforts to reach a first Champions League final in two decades.<\/p>\n

\u2018Go and grab it. When you are in front of such an opportunity, it means that you are ready to deliver, and the team is going to go for the first minute to go and get that,\u2019 the Arsenal head coach told reporters.<\/p>\n

\u2018We always talked about in this moment that we need players with a great emotional state, because I think that determines the rest, and we are feeling very good for tomorrow. <\/p>\n

\u2018I feel the energy in and amongst the team, our supporters. So this is the moment that we want to live together. <\/p>\n

\u2018We have a lot of work as a club, as a team, after 20 years to be in this position again. We are so hungry to get the game that we want tomorrow and go through to that final.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Spaniard added: \u2018The only thing I have is to finish preparing tomorrow, as best as possible, the game, the team, and that we go out there like beasts, enjoy the moment and go for it.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

Who will win this year’s Champions League?<\/h3>\n