A Madrid court handed down fines ranging from 300 to 1,350 euros to 75 individuals linked to the 2014 clash between Atletico de Madrid supporters and the Riazor Blues from Deportivo de La Coruña. The incident occurred near the Vicente Calderón stadium on the morning of November 30, 2014, and resulted in the death of Francisco Javier Romero, known as Jimmy, a member of the Riazor Blues. The verdict reflects the gravity of the violence that erupted before a scheduled football match between the two clubs.
Madrid’s 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance issued the sentences in a ruling that became accessible through national reporting. The case centered on the events surrounding the confrontation in the vicinity of the stadium, where a police officer testified about injuries and the sequence of the altercation tied to the match’s proceedings. The court found that the defendants, in various combinations, faced charges for wounding and assault related to the disturbances that preceded the game. In total, 71 defendants admitted to the facts, while five were acquitted of participating in the brawl, and two other defendants had certain charges withdrawn. Ten individuals were cleared of illegal possession of weapons.
Two different strands of the investigation concerned facts that diverged from the death case itself. One line explored potential accountability for a person whose body was later recovered from the Manzanares river during the fray, but authorities were unable to establish sufficient evidence to prosecute a specific individual. The Madrid Provincial Court was weighing whether the investigating judge should maintain the case as presented. The ruling thus reflected the judiciary’s judgment on the broader violence while leaving some elements unresolved for further consideration.
The court set out the sequence of events that morning, noting that Deportivo supporters had traveled by two buses to Madrid and observed a group of Atletico fans near a bar close to Avenida del Manzanares, at approximately twenty minutes before the morning hours the day of the incident. The witnesses described a sharp escalation when fans from both sides left the bar and began to attack one another with improvised weapons. Defendants reportedly seized poles from nearby trees and chest-high barriers, while tables and chairs from the bar were employed as makeshift weapons, intensifying the melee. This combination of urban spaces and crowded streets created a scene of rapid violence that left spectators and officers grappling with the scale of the confrontation.
LaLiga issued a formal response to the court’s decision, emphasizing its respect for the judicial outcome while signaling that it would review the sentence in detail. The organization noted the potential impact of extenuating circumstances such as late confessions and procedural delays if the case moved to higher courts for appeal. The association also underscored its ongoing commitment to addressing violent behavior in professional football and to ensuring that such acts are prosecuted to their full consequences, regardless of the party involved. In commenting on the fines alone, LaLiga highlighted the importance of holding individuals accountable for actions that mar the sport and disturb the public order around stadiums and fan gatherings.
The verdict also referenced a separate line of proceedings connected to Jimmy’s death. LaLiga reiterated its intention to seek fresh action in a related case and pointed to the need for the indictment of four suspects tied to the death, signaling a continued pursuit of accountability beyond the immediate brawl and the penalties imposed for the injuries sustained during the clash. The court’s decision thus maintains a broader legal stance that extends beyond the individual penalties and acknowledges the ongoing implications for fans, clubs, and the sport’s governance in Spain.