Good news for Atletico Madrid hours before the decisive match against Man City
The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced today that it has suspended the European Football Association (UEFA) penalty against Atletico Madrid by closing part of its stadium in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.
UEFA punished Atletico on Monday by closing a stadium with a capacity of at least 5,000 spectators at the Wanda Metropolitano, after accusing its fans of racist behavior and throwing objects from the stands.
Atlético appealed to the Court of Sports, and the court said in a statement that it decided to suspend the penalty "when taking into account the serious repercussions on local security in the event that the partial closure of the stadium is imposed at this late time."
Atletico said it would allow entry to any fan with a ticket for the return leg, scheduled for later in the day.
UEFA had also ordered Atletico to display a banner bearing the words "Anti-racism" alongside the UEFA logo for the game.
City won 1-0 in the first leg thanks to Kevin De Bruyne's goal.
The winner of the match will qualify for the semi-final against Real Madrid, who beat Chelsea 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
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