Atletico Madrid have been handed down a meager €600 fine by the Spanish authorities. The Fine comes after Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was struck in the head by a lighter thrown by the home crowd.
The tie in question was the Copa Del Rey semi-final second leg in which Real won 5-0 on aggregate. Ronaldo who was clearly the target of the home fans ire had scored both goals on the night and as he left the field at half time was struck down by the lighter thrown from the crowd.
The striker lay on the ground for several minutes following the incident but was able to play on after half time but he eventually had to be replaced in the second half.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yk7Jmw7p74
However the fine is likely to do little for the image of the Spanish football authorities who have come under fire for lenient punishments in the past.
The league have been seen to do little about the ongoing issue of racism in Spanish football and journalist Graham Hunter recently made an impassioned plea to the authorities to finally stamp it out of the game. However with Atletico being only fined €600 for a serious breach of security it is unlikely those changes will occur overnight.
