Anti-violence proposes the closure of the Racing, Deportivo and Eldense fields

The State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sports has proposed economic sanctions and the closure of the fields of the Real Racing Club de Santander, the Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña and the Club Deportivo Eldense due to serious incidents recorded in the final stretch of the season.

According to a statement, the Permanent Commission requests a fine of 200,000 euros and the closure for two months of the El Sardinero Sports Fields (Santander) due to the events recorded during the celebration of promotion to LaLiga EA Sports, on May 16. According to a report provided by the National Sports Office (OND) of the National Police, at the end of the match against Real Valladolid, declared high risk, “there was an invasion of the playing field and several flares were activated among the crowd.”

In addition, the capacity of the field was “overflowed by the massive access of people waiting outside El Sardinero to join the celebrations.” As captured by security cameras, these followers entered through four exterior doors of the venue “without any type of control and caused situations of enormous risk due to blockages, crushes and falls.” Among the victims of these beatings were several children.

Likewise, images captured by the National Police show that one of the doors was opened by a club security guard, who encouraged racing fans “with ostensible gestures” to enter the facilities. The State Commission against Violence in Sports qualifies the events as a “very serious” infraction, provided for in article 21 of Law 19/2007. Racing has been proposed for sanction 17 times since the 2015-2016 season.

On the other hand, Anti-Violence proposes the closure of the Riazor stadium for a month and a fine of 80,000 euros for the incidents against UD Las Palmas on May 31. In the LaLiga Hypermotion match, there was a massive invasion of the field, the activation of pyrotechnic devices, the tearing up of pieces of grass and the removal of seats from the stands.

The security coordinator stated that these behaviors generated risk situations for the safety of the people present, caused damage to the sports facilities, and seriously compromised the security conditions of the venue. The Red Cross services treated five people for minor injuries during the invasion of the playing field, without requiring the transfer of any of them to a hospital.

In addition, the National Police report credits the players’ support for the ultra group Riazor Blues. During the return of honor to the pitch, when the squad was in front of the Maraton stands, two players from the team entered the area occupied by the club’s most radical fans.

At that moment, these fans presented them with two flags, on which the identifying shield of the ultra group Riazor Blues could be seen clearly and visibly. Both players carried these flags during the lap of honor. The commission has considered Riazor Blues as a group whose members have committed violent acts and prohibits acts of promotion or support for said group.

Finally, the National Police detected the unauthorized flight of a drone inside the stadium during the event honoring the Deportivo squad. And in the previous security meeting, the security coordinator expressly denied the possibility of using drones, given the serious risk to the safety of spectators, athletes and other personnel present at Riazor.

Anti-violence has also proposed the closure for a month of the Nuevo Pepico Amat stadium in Elda (Alicante) due to the invasion of the field during the match against Atlético Madrileño, held on May 16 and corresponding to matchday 37 of Primera RFEF. “After the final whistle, there was an avalanche of local fans towards the field of play. An ultra fan tore off a flag and attacked a player from the visiting team, without causing any apparent injuries,” the statement reported.

The OND of the National Police noted the difficulty of guaranteeing security when invasions of these characteristics occur, even if they take place in festive environments. In this sense, it proposes a fine of 10,000 euros and the closure of the Alicante stadium for a month. In addition, this fan faces a request for a fine of 10,000 euros and a ban on access to sports venues for 18 months for a “serious” infraction.

In addition, the body has requested a fine of 30,000 euros for Real Betis for the activation of a smoke canister in the lower stands of Gol Sur and two flares in the visiting sector during the match against Portuguese side Braga, on April 16, in the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals.

Finally, a fine of 5,000 euros is proposed for Zamora CF for the jumping of about 30 fans onto the field during the celebration of a goal against Cacereño, on May 17. And for Atlético Sanluqueño, a penalty of 5,000 euros is requested for the fall of a wall in the lower stands of the Gol Sur, in the match against Algeciras CF on May 9. Both matches, from First RFEF.