<
>

Deportivo La Coruna ban radical fan group 'Riazor Blues'

Deportivo La Coruna president Tino Fernandez has announced plans to prohibit radical supporter group "Riazor Blues" from attending football matches.

The Galician club are following the lead of Atletico Madrid, who on Tuesday issued a banning order to several fans and hardcore supporters' groups following Sunday's violent clashes that led to the death of a Deportivo fan.

Francisco Romero Taboada, a member of the 'Riazor Blues', a radical group linked to Deportivo, died hours after being pulled out of the Manzanares river in Madrid following a fight that broke out near the Vicente Calderon stadium.

The troubled flared ahead of Atletico's home match against Deportivo in the Primera Division.

Fernandez told Spanish radio station Onda Cero: "I am certain that we will not have any more 'Riazor Blues' at the Riazor [stadium].

"The first step we have taken is to close the 'Riazor Blues' section of the stadium for our next two home games. This is the first measure as there is still an investigation going on.

"We don't have to act against an organisation because the Riazor Blues are not registered as a fan club. We have to act against people and we are not sure who those are just yet."

Deportivo host Malaga twice this week, on Wednesday evening in the Copa del Rey and in the league this weekend.

A one minute's silence was due to be observed before Wednesday's game in memory of the fan that died while the price of tickets for Saturday's game have been reduced to one euro.

"We want Saturday's game to be a demonstration against violence," Fernandez said. "We want many of our citizens, who are against violence, to attend.

"We want to show everyone that we are united against violence and prove what is the true spirit of our supporters. What happened on Sunday was tragic."

Spain's interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz has pledged that those responsible for the death of Romero Taboada will be brought to justice.

"Our priority right now is to find those responsible for the death of Francisco Romero Taboada," he told Spanish TV station Telecinco. "We will create black lists so that violent people and violent supporter groups are not allowed into the stadiums."