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Atletico Madrid 'launch furious UEFA complaint' hours before Arsenal Champions League tie
Reach Daily Express | May 5, 2026 7:40 PM CST

Atletico Madrid have lodged a complaint with UEFA after fireworks were set off outside their hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning, ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal. Spanish reports claim that Atletico swiftly reported their frustration over the incident to UEFA.

They have further stated that, despite the hotel's convenient location, there is growing concern that those who launched projectiles faced no form of deterrent when approaching the area where the squad were resting. The semi-final second leg between the two sides is due to take place on Tuesday evening, with the tie perfectly poised at 1-1 following last Wednesday's first leg in Madrid.

The Marca report also shed further light on the precise sequence of events, claiming that the first fireworks were ignited at 1.30am. Then 20 minutes later, further loud bangs erupted outside the team's accommodation, with at least one member of the squad left disturbed.

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Despite the disruption endured by his players, Simeone will be thrilled to have several of them available in London. Injury concerns over Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente and David Hancko had emerged over the past week, yet all four have been named in the travelling squad.

Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez are the only notable Atletico absentees, while Alexander Sorloth has also been included despite having not featured in the last two matches.

Mikel Arteta also delivered encouraging injury news, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard both set to return to the squad. On Monday, he said: "Great [to have them back], because we need options, we need the capacity to play different games tomorrow, whether it's from the start or after. So it's really, really good news for us to have them both back."

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While Arsenal's immediate attention is firmly fixed on the Champions League, Everton, and Thierno Barry in particular, handed them a significant boost in the Premier League title race against Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola's side had the opportunity to respond to the Gunners' 3-0 victory over Fulham but fell short as they were held to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Had it not been for a last-minute Jeremy Doku equaliser, City would be six points adrift of Arsenal, and even with the late leveller, the title race now firmly rests in the hands of Arteta and his squad.

Alongside the three remaining league fixtures, Arsenal will be eager to feature in a European final at the end of May, with either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain standing in their way.


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