Strong measures to ban violent ultras groups from Spanish football are to be quickly introduced, with clubs who continue to directly or indirectly support such groups potentially facing points deductions or even relegation.
The move to eradicate all such radical groups from La Liga has come in the wake of the death of Deportivo La Coruna 'ultra' Javier Romero Taboada [widely known as Jimmy] in a pre-organised fight with radical Atletico Madrid 'fans' before last weekend's game between the clubs.
The Estadio Vicente Calderon club has said it will ban all members of the Frente Atletico from its ground, and cut previous links which included the provision of a locker-room inside its ground where banners, flags and drums were stored.
The days of such relationships between the sport and groups with known links to violent activity are over, said Spain's sports minister Miguel Cardenal, as he revealed the relevant laws would be immediately changed to put in place strict punishments for clubs.
"We have committed for the reforms to come into place immediately," Cardenal said. "On Dec. 15 there will be planned reforms to legislation to cover the new moves -- partial closing of grounds, points deductions and relegations for clubs.
"These commitments should bring us to an unrecognisable situation by May. We said to the clubs: 'Do what is necessary so that these groups have nothing to do with you.' They all must do what Atletico have done with the Frente. Categorically."
Cardenal was speaking after another high-level meeting between representatives of the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) and the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF). The LFP also released a statement detailing measures which are to be introduced.
These include the "partial closure of football stadiums ... if actions take place [such as] violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance." It also called for the "deduction of points and relegation for clubs ... in response to any collaboration, permissiveness or support by clubs with potentially violent groups or fans."
All clubs must now hire a 'director of security' charged with overseeing these measures, while a list of banned groups is to be drawn up in collaboration with the police. Racist or otherwise insulting chanting will also be punished, and stricter controls introduced around the provision of tickets for away fans.
While the moves have been broadly welcomed by many in Spanish football, Espanyol president Joan Collet has warned about rushing through an unworkable system in an understandable wish to be seen to do the right thing.
"I do not see it as logical that they dock a club points for 10 people who do something xenophobic," Collet said. "Today all the stadiums are controlled. Sometimes serious things can happen, and that hurries people up. In the 1980s the worst hooligans were in England and now there are none. That should be copied."
Collet said his club had done hard work over years and not yet succeeded fully in eliminating all ultras from its stadium.
"We suffered it and are not being recognised now," he said. "[Former Barca president Joan] Laporta got rid of the Boixos [Nois] and [current Real Madrid chief] Florentino [Perez] the Ultras Sur, and it seems like the others have not done anything. Espanyol moved from Sarria to Montjuic [in 1997] with more than 500 ultras. Not all are the same.
"I have a relationship with some ex-Brigadas [Blanquiazules]. We had a very big problem, and bit by bit we gradually resolved it. We decided to create the Curva Jove without politics and with the objective of changing the club's image, and we achieved that. We still have a small group of ultras who want to come in, but we are doing everything possible so that does not happen."
Deportivo have as yet to make any such strong moves against the Riazor Blues ultras group, beyond closing one section of the stadium for two games.
A minute's silence was held before Wednesday's 1-1 Copa del Rey home draw with Malaga, a gesture which Depor forward Toche said was not agreed in advance with the players, and which has been questioned by the director general of the Spanish government's 'sports council' Ana Munoz.
"We are going to request information from Deportivo about the minutes' silence in the Copa game, to know what their reasons were," Munoz said. "There could be an official complaint and a punishment."
No current Deportivo representative attended Jimmy's funeral, but ex-president Augusto Lendoiro was pictured there alongside some members of the Riazor Blues. That led LFP president Javier Tebas to immediately remove Lendoiro from an ambassador's job he had with the association.
The 69-year old, currently involved in a legal battle with Depor's present board over alleged financial irregularities during his long term in charge, issued a statement defending his behaviour.
"I condemn all violence, inside and outside of sport," Lendoiro said. "In a personal role, I accompanied the family of Francisco Javier Romero, who I know, in a painful moment. It was a private ceremony."