Atletico Madrid Fan Sues UEFA over Sergio Ramos' Champions League Final Goal

It can be difficult to accept when your team loses a key match, especially against a bitter rival. But Atletico Madrid fan Jose Antonio Campon is not letting his team’s 2016 UEFA Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid go just yet, as he’s ready to sue European football’s governing body over the result.

As reported by Manu de Juan and Aled Bryon of AS, the Atletico fan’s gripe lies in the fact that Los Blancos defender Sergio Ramos was offside when he put Real ahead in the Milan showpiece in May. Now he’s looking for damages of €1,660 (£1,412) from UEFA.

“We demand the system to apply technical means that exist and are already used in other sports,” Campon said of the decision to award the goal. “These errors are always to the detriment of the weak.”

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The Atletico season-ticket holder also suggested Ramos’ controversial strike, awarded by English referee Mark Clattenburg, “altered the game, benefiting one of the teams.” 

Per the report, Campon is seeking to be refunded the cost of his match ticket €160 (£136) as well as a further €1,500 (£1,276) for what’s described as “moral damage.”

While Ramos netted the key opening goal, Atletico managed to force their way back into the contest through Yannick Carrasco’s late equaliser. However, Diego Simeone’s side fell short in a dramatic penalty shootout, with Los Blancos talisman Cristiano Ronaldo tucking home the winning kick.

The solicitor for the claimant, Carlos Mendez, is also quoted in the report, and he outlined why he feels Campon has grounds for a successful case.

“If you go to the cinema and there is no sound, they give you back your money,” he said. “This is the same thing. There is a regulation and it has been breached. It is negligence and in your job, and when you are negligent you pay the consequences. That is why we address the claim to the employer (UEFA) and his employee (Clattenburg) as responsible."

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In the report, it’s denied that a positive outcome for Campon would cast doubt over the validity of the match result. “Legally we do not have the active legitimacy, only the club has that,” Mendez added. “But it has been assessed.”

For Atletico, the match was a night to forget at the end of a memorable Champions League run. It was the second time in three seasons they’d lost on this grand stage to their rivals, with Los Blancos winning both matches beyond normal time and Ramos netting in both finals.