Atletico Madrid Fined €600 for Cristiano Ronaldo Lighter Incident

Atletico Madrid have been fined a sum of €600 (£498) following the incident which saw Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo struck by a lighter thrown from the crowd, according to Marca.

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The Spanish Federation fines Atletico Madrid €600 after Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was struck on the head with a lighter in the game.

— Sportive23.net (@Sportive23_) February 14, 2014"

Ronaldo was making his way off the field at half-time, when the jovial conversation he was having with team-mate Sergio Ramos was interrupted by a lighter which struck the Portuguese superstar on the side of the head.

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Ronaldo gets hit with an object while walking off the pitch at half-time. Disgraceful - http://t.co/Y5yui5gRYD

— BC (@BradleyCromack) February 11, 2014"

The world footballer of the year fell to the floor, while Ramos recoiled in shock, and he was attended to by ground staff before being shepherded down the tunnel.

Ronaldo, who scored two penalties in the first half of the Copa del Rey clash, escaped serious injury and was able to carry on after half-time.

Real went on to win the game 2-0, 5-0 on aggregate, but the referee made note of the incident and it was reviewed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Atletico could have faced a series of sanctions, ranging from a fine to having to play games behind closed doors, and the Spanish Federation have elected to mete out a punishment at the lower end of the scale.

Marca carried a statement from the Spanish FA’s Competition Committee, which read:

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Impose upon Football Club Atletico de Madrid a sanction of a €600 fine for the breaching of Article 110 of the RFEF Disciplinary Code, with the warning that hereon in greater efforts must be made to avoid such incidents and if they should occur, to identify the spectators involved, and that further disciplinary action will be executed should incidents of this nature repeat themselves.

This resolution may be appealed to the Appeals Committee.

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There has been no word from Atletico as to whether they will lodge an appeal but, given the potential sanctions that could have faced them, it is highly unlikely they will challenge the ruling.