GamesBids.com reports one expert as saying he couldn’t believe that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be impressed when they hear about what happened in Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday.
There have been other reports condemning the racial attacks in the British media.
Madrid’s odds of hosting the 2012 Games had widened from 8/1 to 10/1 yesterday (Thursday) in the wake of the attacks.
Paul Petrie, from Totesport, said: “The Spain vs. England game was beamed all round the world and there has been condemnation from different areas of the sporting community.
“Last night’s events will not have helped the city’s 2012 Olympic bid chances and therefore the price has been pushed out.”
Ironically the game was used to promote Madrid’s bid via pitch-side advertising.
This had angered the Football Association that believed it had an agreement with its Spanish counterparts that neither would use the match as an opportunity to showcase the bids.
In a press release issued by Madrid 2012 on Thursday, Feliciano Mayoral, president and CEO of the bid, condemned Wednesday’s incidents.
He said that he “rejects and condemns all kind of racist displays in any field of the society”.
Also, Madrid’s mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon strongly condemned any kind of racist behaviour.
He reminded everyone that “citizens from more than 180 different countries are living together in Madrid and that all the Spanish football and other sports clubs have players from many different countries and ethnic groups”.
