Madrid - The indignation of Spanish giants Atletico Madrid at having their stadium closed by UEFA for two matches is shared by the Spanish government. On Tuesday UEFA, football's ruling body, decreed that Atletico's Estadio Vicente Calderon should be closed for two matches, as a result of the serious incidents at the Atletico-Marseille Champions League clash of 1 October.
This means that Atletico will have to stage their forthcoming home games against Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven at least 300 kilometres away from Madrid.
UEFA blamed Atletico for having inadequate security in place both inside and outside their stadium, and for the crowd making racist chants and noises at Marseille's black players.
UEFA also criticized the Spanish police for using excessive force when charging into the unruly sector of the Marseille fans.
Throughout Wednesday there have been indignant Spanish reactions to the UEFA ban.
A spokesman for Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Wednesday afternoon that the prime minister had received a letter from UEFA president Michel Platini explaining the ban, and would "respond with arguments."
Zapatero was asked in the Spanish parliament on Wednesday afternoon if he was backing Atletico in their dispute with UEFA, and replied: "Yes, of course, and also the police."
Earlier on Wednesday, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba defended the actions of the Spanish police on 1 October.
"I am going to defend the actions of the Spanish police," he said, "and we will put all the material we have (photographs and videos) at the disposal of Atletico, in order for them to appeal against this unusual decision."
Soledad Mestre, delegate of the Spanish government in the province of Madrid, later said that the police actions were "correct, proportionate and suited to the violent behaviour of the French fans."
Mestre claimed that the police have identified up to 200 "high risk" Marseille fans, from whom were confiscated dangerous fireworks and other prohibited objects.
Later on Wednesday, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo expressed his "indignation and surprise" at the ban, claiming that UEFA had "only taken into consideration an appeal from Olympique Marseille" and had ignored the documents presented by UEFA's own security delegate and by the match referee.
He added that Marseille "would not have done this had they won or drawn here." Atletico won the game 2-1.
Cerezo claimed that "there is not enough time" to switch the Liverpool match, scheduled for 22 October, to another city.
"We have not thought about playing at another stadium," he added, "because it would be unjust."
Cerezo finished his press conference by pledging to "exhaust all the channels" in appealing against the stadium ban.
