MADRID, Oct 15: Spanish media voiced outrage on Wednesday over penalties imposed by UEFA against Atletico de Madrid for alleged racist insults by its supporters against Marseille players during a Champions League match.

“Unjustified,” “disproportionate” and “inexplicable” were some of the terms used in the press and by football commentators to describe the two-match stadium ban imposed on Atletico.

Marseille lodged an official complaint with European football’s ruling body after several of their players were targeted by Atletico fans during their match in Madrid on Oct 1.

It alleged monkey chants were aimed at the French club’s players, while the Marseille team bus was attacked after the match.

Atletico were also charged with “a lack of organisation” at the match, which led to “crowd incidents.”

UEFA said Atletico must play its next two European matches, the first of which will be against Liverpool on Oct 22, at a stadium at least 300 kilometres (200 miles) away from Madrid.

Several Spanish newspapers released photo images from a video showing Marseille supporters throwing chairs at Spanish police, whom it said had reacted “correctly.”

Some also alleged French UEFA president Michel Platini was behind the decision. “Platini has scored another goal against us,” headlined the sports daily Marca, referring to a goal by the former French international in the final of Euro-1984 in Paris, a match which France won 2-1.

It said Platini acted “with premeditation” against Atletico, while El Pais and ABC alleged a “campaign” against Spain following its recent sporting successes, such a winning Euro 2008

El Pais alleged a “Anglo-French” axis against Spanish sport and criticised this “unprecedented punishment in which UEFA for the first time has given itself the authority to judge the national police.”

In a statement late Tuesday, the club slammed the sanctions as “completely unfair and disproporionate” and said it would appeal the decison. “At no time were insults of racist or xenophobic character directed at any Olympique Marseille player, as supported by the video of the match and in the record given by the UEFA delegate himself.”

It said the so-called monkey chants may in fact have been merely Atletico supporters shouting “Kun, Kun, Kun” to encourage one of their players, Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero.—AFP