Atlético Madrid has lodged a complaint with UEFA after fireworks were set off outside their hotel in the early hours of this morning, ahead of their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.
Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Madrid last week, Atlético will visit the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, aiming to reach their first Champions League final since 2016.
According to a club spokesperson, fireworks were ignited outside the team hotel in Shoreditch, London, at 1:30 a.m. and again at 2:00 a.m., prompting Atlético to notify UEFA about the incident on Tuesday morning.
In a pre-match press conference on Monday, coach Diego Simeone humorously noted that the team had switched hotels since their 4-0 loss to Arsenal back in October, attributing the change to cost considerations.
Both Atlético and Arsenal have yet to win the European Cup, though Atlético has reached the final four times, three of which occurred under Simeone’s management.
“Every time you start the Champions League season, you envision yourself lifting the trophy,” said forward Antoine Griezmann, who will be joining Orlando City this summer. “Every team, every player, every kid in his bedroom dreams of it. We do too. We’re just two games away. We need to be solid tactically, both defensively and offensively, and maintain the level we showed in the second half of the first leg.”
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