European football governing body UEFA decided on Thursday that Atletico Madrid can after all play next week's Champions League tie against Liverpool in the Vicente Calderon stadium.
Tuesday had seen UEFA slap a three-game home ban on Atletico following crowd incidents in the match against Olympique Marseilles two weeks ago.
Atletico vowed to appeal against the decision, which they considered to have been taken over incidents beyond their control. Liverpool meanwhile also made their annoyance clear, arguing that most of their supporters had already bought tickets and made arrangements to travel to Madrid.
UEFA has taken these appeals into account and decided that the game can now take place in the Calderon next Wednesday, although it does not mean that Atletico will escape a ban.
"After immediate consideration of the request for suspension, and having considered in particular the organizational and logistical difficulties related to relocating the Club Atletico de Madrid vs Liverpool FC match to another venue at short notice, the chairman of the Appeals Body has decided to grant the request for suspension of the sanctions," reads the statement on the official UEFA website.
Unfortunately former Atletico striker Fernando Torres will not be able to take part in the game. Torres, now with Liverpool, tore a hamstring during Spain's World Cup qualifying game in Belgium on Wednesday night and will miss the game through injury.
(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2008)