Derby Match Suspended Provisional Due to Object Throwing
The referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer, making his debut in the Madrid derby, provisionally suspended the match between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid in the 69th minute at the Cívitas Metropolitano. The suspension came after a continuous barrage of objects was thrown at Real Madrid's Belgian goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. At the time of the suspension, the match was in favor of Madrid, leading 1-0 thanks to a goal from Éder Militao.
A section of Atlético Madrid fans directed their ire at former player Thibaut Courtois during the derby, throwing objects onto the field when the goalkeeper handed a discarded item to referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer, who was officiating his first Madrid derby.
Initially, the match was paused as Courtois removed various objects, mainly lighters, from his area before handing another one to the referee. This prompted Busquets Ferrer to go to the sidelines and instruct both teams to leave the pitch.
The suspension occurred in the 69th minute, with Real Madrid leading 1-0 against Atlético Madrid, and it is expected to last for ten minutes to allow tensions to settle.
Captain Koke Resurrección was the first to approach the north end to urge fans to stop throwing objects, followed by José María Giménez and coach Diego Simeone.