In a dramatic turn of events ahead of their crucial Champions League clash, Atletico Madrid have lodged a formal complaint with UEFA following a disruptive incident outside their hotel in London early Tuesday morning.
The disturbance occurred less than 24 hours before the team is set to face Arsenal in the second leg of their semi-final, after last week’s tense 1-1 draw in Spain. According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Atletico Madrid promptly expressed their concerns to UEFA regarding the episode.
Despite the hotel’s advantageous location in Shoreditch, Atletico voiced apprehensions about the fireworks being set off by individuals who seemed unimpeded in their approach to the team’s accommodation.
Details of the incident reveal that the first explosion echoed through the streets at 1:30am, followed by further loud disturbances approximately 20 minutes later, causing considerable disruption to at least one member of the squad trying to rest before the big match.
Amid the chaos, coach Diego Simeone remains optimistic as several players have made the journey to London, easing injury worries surrounding key squad members Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente, and David Hancko, as all four were included in the travelling party.
However, Atletico will be without two prominent figures, Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez, who did not make the trip. Notably, Alexander Sorloth has been included despite not featuring in the previous two games, raising questions about his fitness ahead of the high-stakes encounter.
