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Police reroute Atlético team bus, denying fans their welcome before Barça
Hundreds of supporters were waiting on Arcentales at 19:03 ahead of the clash with Barcelona
Rubén Uría recalls the police charges at the last welcome for the Atleti team bus
Rubén Uría claims Spain's National Police changed the route of the Atlético team bus without warning. He recalls the baton charges and pepper spray of last time and laments how supporters are being treated.
For Rubén Uría, the story of the day was what happened in the build-up to Atlético v Barcelona. Fans had organised on social media to gather at 19:03, a time that nods to the year the club was founded, to welcome the team ahead of a game with top spot at stake. Families, children and older supporters lined the pavements.
However, Spain's National Police changed the bus's route, and it did not come up Arcentales as it usually does. According to Uría, the justification was incidents at recent welcomes in which some radicals had allegedly taken advantage of the crowds.
Uría admits he does not know what the underlying problem is, but believes it is being handled very badly. He recalls that last time "there were police charges and pepper spray was used against fans, including children and older people". He closed with a blunt verdict: "The only crime Atleti fans commit is wanting to cheer on their team".