“Come on Peru, we’re playing at home today!”. It was the heartbreaking cry of a Peruvian waving a red and white flag at the gates of the Metropolitano stadium on Tuesday afternoon. He marked the huge red and white cloth hung at the entrance of the Atletico de Madrid Coliseum before the American team’s friendly match against Morocco.

Both fans share the colors added to the large Peruvian community in Spain. The fans of the South American team felt as if they were playing at their own home.. A feeling shared with the other half of the pitch. The North African community in our country is even larger than the Andean community, which fills the slums of the field with green stars on a red background.

accusations of racism

Friendly match between two countries with a large number of fans in Spain. And a series of surreal events that overshadow the previous one. Peruvian footballers faced off against several National Police agents the day before, who were trying to control the presence of South American fans at the hotel where the election was held.

It was the most talked about fan before the match. “How ridiculous is the police, isn’t it?”Peruvian Mario, who lives in Móstoles and will watch his national team live for the first time at the age of 33, made a comment. Some fans who commented on the incident claimed racism. Mistake dared another slip as the crowd shouted at groups of fans trying to skip the queue.

Pre-match riot

it happened riots the previous day and attempts in the previous hours. The reason for this was the demonstration of a group of Peruvian activists against their country’s government. They protested the repression, imprisonment, and murder of hundreds of citizens in the February riots in the Andean country. According to them, they also protested the celebration of the match. “regime propaganda tool”. It is a proposition that many citizens in the game do not like and go to reproach him. Blows almost fly.

On the other hand, Morocco, which may also have the local team category due to the percentage of fans they have gathered. Atlas Lions too have been the target of a xenophobic attack The night before the game: They received racist insults on social networks from one of the employees of the hotel where they were staying. Argument that resulted in the subject being fired and taken into custody by the police.


Moroccan fans in the metropolitan stands. Ephesus


Both events, which inflamed the previous one and frightened the authorities, could continue hours before the meeting. In the end nothing happened, beyond that Both hobbies showed exemplary behavior and little shooting support.. Because despite everything, even half of the tickets offered for sale at Civitas Metropolitano were not sold out.


View of the Cívitas Metropolitano during Morocco-Peru. DLF


And although the fans who attended did not stop their cheers (the screams were deafening at times) and they mingled without further incident (there were no specific areas for fans of one band or the other), the party was a bit watered down as too many seats were left empty.