An Olympique Marseille fan sentenced to jail in Spain after assaulting police officers during a Champions League match at Atletico Madrid was released on bail on Tuesday, the French club said.
The fan, Santos Mirasierra, was released on bail after a Spanish court accepted an appeal lodged by one his lawyers, Marseille said on its website (www.om.net).
Mirasierra was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison last week after incidents during a game two months ago. The news of his release came hours before the return leg between Marseille and Atletico in Marseille.
"Santos Mirasierra, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Friday, has been released on bail by a Spanish court just before the match between Marseille and Atletico," the Marseille statement read.
The court confirmed in a statement that Mirasierra had been released on bail of 6,000 euros ($7,724).
The case has been a source of rising tension ahead of Atletico's trip to Marseille for their final Group D match.
Marseille police said there were fears violence could mar the game, for which around 1,000 police will be on duty.
The Marseille fan group to which Mirasierra belongs asked their estimated 4,500 members to boycott the game and to demonstrate outside the stadium.
Atletico beat Marseille 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon stadium on Oct 1, but the game was marred by clashes between police and visiting fans before kickoff.
UEFA said failures in the home side's organization of the game led to the confrontations and it initially ordered Atletico to play their following two European games at least 300 km outside Madrid.
On appeal, the punishment was reduced by European soccer's governing body to one game behind closed doors, which they won 2-1 against PSV Eindhoven on Nov 26 to qualify for the last 16.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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