Shocking moment Atletico Madrid fans attack Man Utd supporters ahead of match in Spain tonight

Atletico Madrid fans attacked Manchester United supporters on Tuesday night ahead of tonight’s Champions League match in Spain, shocking footage has shown.

But fans of the Spanish footballing giant seemed to flee in surprise when the British supporters stood up to them, with one man shouting ‘come on you f***ing d***heads’ as they turned tails and ran.

The 40-second video taken amidst the violence shows the two groups of fans clashing at night on a narrow street in Madrid outside bars and restaurants.

One of the groups – believed to be Spanish ultras – are shown mostly wearing all black, with their faces covered by balaclavas, as they pick up and throw chairs down the street at the others.

Spanish authorities also reported other clashes in the city, with local reports saying officers had to intervene on Tuesday night.

Separate footage posted on TikTok showed Spanish officers hitting Manchester United fans with batons. 

Panicked onlookers, including the person filming the incident, are shown fleeing the scene. Some are captured hurriedly grabbing their belongings from tables and chairs as the angry mob advance down the narrow road. 

The sound of smashing glasses and tableware can be heard over the sound of shouting between the two groups. 

The majority of voices sound like they are speaking Spanish, but one man with a Mancunian accent can be heard shouting: ‘Come on you f***ing d***heads’.

At this point, about 20 seconds into the footage, the balaclava-clad men suddenly turn-tails and start running back up the street in the direction they came from.

Objects are seen being thrown after them as they flee, leaving a trail of damage.

One person, speaking Spanish, can be heard saying ‘ultras’, suggesting the group were a gang of Atletico Madrid football hooligans.

According to the HooligansTV Twitter account, the incident occurred on Tuesday night ahead of the Champions League tie between Manchester United and the Spanish club. 

‘Atletico Madrid (Frente Atletico) attack Manchester United fans, the night before the game,’ the Twitter account wrote when posting the video on Wednesday morning.

Frente Atletico (Athletic Front) is an ultra fan group supporting Atletico Madrid, and is one of the largest ultra groups in Spanish football. 

Panicked onlookers, including the person filming the incident, are shown fleeing the scene. Some are captured grabbing their belongings from tables and chairs as the angry mob advance down the narrow road

Fans of the Spanish footballing giant seemed to flee in surprise when the British supporters stood up to them, with one man shouting ‘come on you f***ing d***heads’ as they ran. Pictured: A man stands with his arms raised at either side in the middle of the street amid the clash

Founded in 1982, the group classified in the media as being ‘extreme Right’ has been involved in a number of violent incidents since, and is banned from displaying its symbols in the club’s stadium.

Madrid saw other clashes between fans on Tuesday night, with police reporting that Manchester United fans also threw tables and chairs at bars in the city centre.

Footage posted to TikTok showed police marching down a street towards Manchester United fans, with one being struck twice by a baton.

The fan was shown walking away from the officers with some friends, at which point he shouted a torrent abuse at the police.

According to El Mundo newspaper, the atmosphere that was festive earlier in the night – with football chants being sung happily by the fans – took a turn later on.

The newspaper also reported that the police are investigating whether Athletic Front were involved in the clashes.  

After the rowdy night on Tuesday, by mid-morning on Wednesday the newspaper said British fans were already seen drinking at bars throughout the city.

Spanish police said they are prepared to deploy high numbers of police to marshal tonight’s match. 

Atletico Madrid will face off against Manchester United tonight in front of around 60,000 fans at the Spanish club’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, in the first leg of the pair’s last-16 Champions League tie.

Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick predicted his team would face ‘a hostile atmosphere’ in the stadium.

‘Some of our players will not be received with a red carpet,’ Rangnick during a pre-game press conference. ‘Mentally, we need to be prepared for an emotional and hostile atmosphere. This is not the easiest of draws.’

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone said the LaLiga champions have had an inconsistent season so far but are finally showing some fighting spirit. 

About 20 seconds into the footage, the balaclava-clad men suddenly turn-tails and start running back up the street in the direction they came from. Objects are seen being thrown after them as they flee, leaving a trail of damage

Pictured: The aftermath of the clash, showing chairs and tables scattered across the street

Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick (left) predicted his team would face ‘a hostile atmosphere’ in Atletico Madrid’s stadium on Wednesday night when the two clubs face each other in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie. Atletico Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone (right) said the LaLiga champions are finally showing some fighting spirit

Meanwhile, calls have been growing for UEFA to move the final of the Champions League competition later this year away from Russia after Vladimir Putin ordered troops into the eastern part of the country this week. 

Rangnick addressed the issue ahead of his side’s Champions League last-16 first-leg tie away to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Rangnick, who was director of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow until joining United in November, said: ‘It’s still a long way until the final.

‘If we are to have a chance (of being in it), we have to beat Atletico first and we are fully aware that this is not the easiest of all draws that we could get.

‘What would happen then, this is something for UEFA and maybe even for some politicians to decide upon.

‘I think we all hope – not only here in England but in the whole of Europe, if not in the rest of the world – that things will de-escalate.

‘Nobody could really be interested in a sort of war within Europe. This is more important, actually, than a Champions League game, if we’re honest.’