Champions League - Marseille fan facing eight years

Eurosport - Fri, 07 Nov 10:34:00 2008

The Spanish state prosecutor has recommended an eight-year jail term for a Marseille fan detained after the French side's Champions League match against Atletico Madrid last month.

FOOTBALL Police Atletico Madrid v Marseille Vincente Calderon - 0

Police clashed with Marseille fans before the start of the match, which Atletico won 2-1, and the fan, who has not been named by police, has been in custody since.

The list of charges against him includes public order offences and assaulting a police officer.

Prosecutors also want him banned from football stadiums for three years and fined.

Marseille captain Lorik Cana has spoken out against the charges, saying the prosecutor's plans were "incongruous and inexplicable".

He told L'Equipe: "There's no reason for it. Santos is a robust fellow, maybe he defended himself a bit more than certain others. I would have done as much.

"Despite our good results at the moment, we can't be 100 per cent and have a calm spirit because one of our people is kept against his will and for something for which he was not wrong at the beginning."

UEFA said failures in Atletico's organisation had prompted confrontations between Marseille fans and police and initially ordered the Spanish club to play their following two European fixtures at least 300km (186 miles) outside Madrid.

It also threatened a home stadium ban for a third game if there was further trouble.

The two-match ban was later reduced to one match played without spectators, but Atletico have said they will fight the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Eurosport / Reuters

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  1. Another move by the racist spanish police / govt­ against a marseille fan. I was at that game which was­ full of racist chanting , police babarism against fans­ and a pure display on how backwards they are in spain.­ They were no casualties amongst police who were beating­ up the marseille stewards who were protecting their­ fans. Big shame on Spain who one would think was a­ civilised country.

    From colin s, on Thu 6 Nov 9:14PM
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