Liverpool game may stay in Madrid

Atletico Madrid's Champions League group match against Liverpool is likely to go ahead in the Spanish capital, BBC Sport understands.

Uefa ordered Atletico to play their next two matches away from the Vicente Calderon Stadium after crowd trouble.

That meant the Liverpool game would have been held at a neutral venue at least 200 miles from Madrid.

Atletico's ban will stand but Uefa is keen to avoid Reds fans having to alter their plans for the 22 October game.

Uefa's initial decision led to vociferous criticism from thousands of Liverpool fans, unhappy over the late notice Europe's governing body had given them.

Uefa wants to make the welfare of the English club's supporters their number one priority.

With Atletico having until 1100 BST on Friday to appeal their ban, Uefa hope to announce a decision that will satisfy all parties.

Uefa's options include putting the ban on hold so that the match goes ahead at the Vicente Calderon stadium or possibly staging it at another stadium in the "Madrid area".

If Atletico do appeal the Madrid club will receive the full backing of the Spanish government.

Spain's Minister of Interior Affairs, Alfedo Perez Rubalcaba, said: "I will defend the actions of the police.
"We will hand all the material that we have available to Atletico so they can appeal against this unusual decision."

The ban followed the treatment of Marseille fans during and after Atletico's 2-1 victory on 1 October.

Monkey chants were aimed at the French club's players, while the Marseille team bus was attacked after the match.

There were also outbreaks of violence between Marseille fans and Spanish police, as well as accusations from Marseille officials and players that they had been racially abused by Atletico fans.

Atletico have denied all claims of racism, insisting that Uefa officials confused chants of "Kun, Kun, Kun" - in support of the club's striker Sergio Aguero - with monkey cries.

And the head of Madrid's Olympic bid has expressed his concern that another racist incident in Spanish sports could affect the city's chances of hosting the 2016 Games.

But Atletico president Enrique Cerezo believes the Liverpool game will be held at his club's own ground.

"I urge the fans to be calm because the game will be played at the Vicente Calderon," Cerezo said.

"Any other decision would create a social, logistic and security problem.

"There is no other stadium available and we are convinced that this game will be played here because Atletico has done nothing wrong."

Atletico have also been fined a record 150,000 euros by Uefa, while the punishment could be extended to a third home match should there be further trouble at the club within five years.

The Spanish club's coach Javier Aguirre has been punished for abusing a Marseille player.

He has been banned from the sidelines, the tunnel, and the dressing room, and is forbidden from communicating with his team, during the matches against Liverpool on 22 October and at Anfield on 4 November.

Atletico hope video evidence will show there were no insults of a racist or xenophobic nature directed at any Marseille player.

The club says its supporters have no prior record of such behaviour and that, in relation to Aguirre's ban, the coach did not hurl insults at any Marseille player.