215 concealed tickets end up with the ultras

Yesterday’s Anti-violence Commission meeting threw up one key revelation: Atlético Madrid sent Deportivo 215 tickets over and above the 365 tickets which were monitored by the police. The first batch of ‘official’ tickets was distributed amongst fan-groups deemed not to be of risk. 77 tickets were left over and Depor returned these to Atlético. At the same time and out of police control, Atlético sent another batch of 215 to the Deportivo Federation of Peñas (organized supporters groups) whose address is that of Deportivo’s Riazor stadium. Deportivo officials confirmed they received a closed envelope with more tickets but that’s as much as they knew. Atlético, assumed these tickets were for the club use, despite the Galician club previously having returned 77 tickets!

With their 215 tickets secured and with coaches rented in Lugo, the Depor Ultras were in a position to organize Sunday’s journey. They had outwitted the police and in attaining match tickets had secured the necessary collaboration they needed from the clubs. This is a perfect reflection on just how poor judgement is relating to ultra movement. Clubs over-protect their ultra groups due to a mix of affection for their support and out of fear in tackling a potentially violent collective, as many are. This is what we all need to strive against. This is what Laporta had to do at Barça and did it in a impressive way. Florentino, at Madrid is also involved in an ongoing process of moving veteran ultras and making way for a new “animation zone” for younger supporters...which has already see the club receive a UEFA sanction!

It’s not going to be easy. The clubs need to fully acknowledge the situation, then move forward with courage and finally count on everybody’s support. Referees in the past never made note in their match reports of offensive chants, and unfortunately they are plentiful, and just recently police delegates have started to make note of these abusive recitals. For years, Frente Atlético have had an infamous chant boasting of a former crime of theirs that ‘Zabaleta was in ETA’ (Aitora Zabaleta, a Real Sociedad fan was stabbed to death outside the Calderon in 1998) was without any comeback. This will be a long process and will require a new level of increased awareness and vigilance, but time has come. We all need to be united but they weight of responsibility lies with the respective clubs. Each one who has been incubating its own snake’s egg.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/12jIsET

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