Atlético Madrid must drop Arnau Ortiz due to a bizarre ban
In the first Champions League duel of the season, Atlético Madrid face FC Liverpool, but the Colchoneros have to do without the 24‑year‑old winger Arnau Ortiz against the Reds, because a suspension from the 2024/25 season is still in effect – a curious circumstance for Diego Simeone.
Curious Circumstances
Curious circumstances: The winger Arnau Ortiz is suspended for the match against Liverpool. The 24‑year‑old left winger has only been part of the professional squad since the summer of 2025, but the suspension dates back two years and originates from the 2024/25 season, when he played for the Polish top‑flight club Slask Wroclaw in the Conference League qualification. The reason for the suspension lies in the incident against St. Gallen.
During the second leg against St. Gallen, Ortiz tried to win a penalty in injury time, received a yellow card for it and was shown a red‑yellow card in the 23rd minute for protesting and was sent off. This incident triggered the suspension, which has not been enforced in any European competition since.
In the summer of 2025 he moved to the second team of Atlético Madrid, where he scored 23 goals and provided six assists in 36 matches in the third‑tier Primera Federación. In the current season he has already been substituted on three times for the Colchoneros and has also been registered for the Champions League squad.
Consequences for the Champions League Duel
Thus the Colchoneros are missing a forward, and Diego Simeone, better known as El Cholo, can hardly draw from the full depth, as only Alexander Sørloth remains available as another attacking player, although he is not yet fully fit. This was the first time such a suspension has affected the team in a Champions League duel. Ortiz can only be used from the second match onward, meaning the squad will have to consider further options for the second leg against Manchester United in October as well as the duels with VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich.
The next European fixtures of the season see Atlético in October against Manchester United, in December against VfB Stuttgart in Stuttgart, and in February at home against FC Bayern Munich. Until then the team will have to cope without the productive winger and reorganise its attacking options.