Atletico Madrid complain to UEFA after fireworks set off outside hotel before Arsenal tie

Atletico's preparations were disrupted before the second leg of their Champions League semi-final Glyn Kirk / AFP via Getty Images Share articleAtletico Madrid reported concerns to UEFA after fireworks were set off outside their team hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning before their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal. Sources at Atletico, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, indicated players’ sleep was disrupted as fireworks were set off on two separate occasions after 1am (BST) outside their east-London hotel. The Spanish club communicated their unhappiness with the situation to UEFA, but it is unlikely European football’s governing body will intervene given the incident did not take place at the stadium. UEFA has been contacted by The Athletic for comment. Arsenal host Atletico at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. The tie is delicately poised at 1-1 after the first leg at the Metropolitano in the Spanish capital last Wednesday. Arsenal are attempting to make the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years, while Atletico last reached the European showpiece a decade ago. Atletico’s complaint to UEFA comes after Arsenal lodged one of their own before the first leg in Spain regarding the condition of the pitch. There were concerns from the visiting side that an increased length of grass at the Metropolitano Stadium would slow down the pace of the match, while the watering of the surface increasing the likelihood of players losing their footing. The two sides also met in the group stages of this season’s competition, with Atletico making a complaint to Arsenal after experiencing a hot water shortage in the Emirates Stadium dressing room as they trained before the tie. The Premier League club apologised to their La Liga counterparts for the inconvenience. Atletico were staying in the east London area of Shoreditch ahead of Tuesday’s fixture, with the club choosing a different hotel from their last visit to the Emirates in October, which ended in a 4-0 win for Mikel Arteta’s side. When asked before the second leg whether superstition was the reason for Atletico changing their London hotel from the one they used before the league-phase defeat, head coach Diego Simeone joked: “We’re better now than we were in October. And the hotel was cheaper. That’s why we changed.” Opposition fans setting off fireworks outside rival teams hotels to disrupt preparation is common underhanded tactics often witnessed before high stakes games. A similar incident occurred in the early hours near the Italy team’s hotel in London ahead of the Euro 2020 final against England — a game Italy won on penalties. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms