Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says the ultimate responsibility for ending violent clashes between 'ultras' groups around La Liga matches lies with politicians not those who work in football.
Francisco Javier Romero Taboada -- widely known as Jimmy -- died as the result of injuries sustained during a street fight before Atletico's 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna last Sunday, with the autopsy finding the 43-year-old had most likely been hit with an iron bar.
More than 200 individuals were involved in the confrontation between two groups called the "Riazor Blues" and "Frente Atletico" which took place by the river Manzanares in sight of Atletico's Estadio Vicente Calderon. In total 11 people were wounded, three by knife wounds and three for blows to the head. While 21 arrests were made, and 90 of those involved identified from video footage, nobody has yet been charged in relation to Taboada's death.
The Riazor Blues have denied that the fight was planned, claiming they were instead ambushed by the Frente Atletico. However police sources now admit the confrontaton had been organised in advance by members of radical groups also including Rayo Vallecano's "Bukaneros" and Alcorcon's "Alkor Hooligans."
Although a process is in place to try and stop away-end tickets being sold to known violent individuals, it has emerged that Atletico sent 215 tickets for Sunday's game to Deportivo and that these then found their way to ultras via other fans.
The game had originally not been denominated as high risk by Madrid's authorities, even though warnings had been communicated to the capital by police in La Coruna. This allowed the buses carrying the Depor ultras to get near the stadium on the morning of the game without the usual heavy-police escort.
Eleven people have now died in separate football related violent incidents since 1982 in Spain. The country's political and football authorities have all condemned the latest episode, with sports minister Miguel Cardenal and La Liga president Javier Tebas calling for an end to the links between clubs and all ultras groups.
Asked at a news conference how to ensure such violent incidents did not take place again, Atletico's coach Simone said it was the job of the leaders in society to control these matters.
"I am not a politician, obviously they are the ones who can better solve this," Simeone said. "We want to condemn violence in every way, and want for the people who work for our security to fix these problems. I do not wish for any party in this to come out harmed."
The former Atletico player said the incidents had been linked to football as those involved wore club colours, however he himself had no suggestions as to what should now be done.
"The people who work in these areas must resolve this," Simeone said. "Football comes into it as they were wearing jerseys. My job is to coach the team, not to take [these kind of] decisions."
While Atletico have said that they will ban for life any individuals found to have taken part in the pre-organised fight, club president Antonio Cerezo claimed the incident had "nothing to do with football," and chief executive Miguel Angel Gil argued that the Frente Atletico ultras group should not collectively be punished for the actions of some of its members.
On Tuesday, police also arrested two men who attacked a TV camera crew attempting to film the coffin of the dead man Romero Taboada leaving a Madrid mortuary.