Acció Cassandra files hate crime complaint over chants at Metropolitano

The association Acció Cassandra has filed a formal complaint with the Hate Crimes and Discrimination Section of the Madrid Provincial Prosecutor's Office regarding chants directed at FC Barcelona and Catalonia. The incident occurred on August 23 during an Atlético de Madrid match against Villarreal at the Metropolitano Stadium.

The chants, which included phrases such as ‘puta Barça i puta Catalunya’, were reportedly shouted by a segment of the home crowd during the 66th minute, coinciding with the entry of Argentine forward Julián Álvarez. The association notes that the chants were not directed at the player's nationality, but rather constituted ‘explicitly Catalanophobic’ content due to the player's rumored links to FC Barcelona.

Acció Cassandra argues that these actions may constitute a hate crime under Article 510.1 of the Spanish Penal Code, requesting that the aggravating factor of discrimination under Article 22.4 also be considered. The complaint urges the Prosecutor's Office to identify the perpetrators by requesting CCTV footage from Atlético de Madrid, as well as match reports and recordings from LaLiga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).