Suvechha Sarkar
On November 30, 2014, the day began as usual for football fans in Madrid, Spain. However, everything came crashing down when 43-year-old Francisco Javier Romero Taboada, affectionately known as Jimmy, died during a confrontation between rival ultra groups. The tragedy left his family, friends, and his fellow group members searching for justice. The heartbreaking case is revisited in the episode titled ‘Beyond Football’ of HBO Max’s ‘Ultras: Passion and Death.’ Through detailed interviews with the officials who worked on the case and CCTV footage from that day, the episode sheds light on what actually transpired.
Francisco Taboada Was Attacked When He Went to Madrid to Watch a Match
Francisco Javier Romero Taboada was born sometime in 1971 and grew up surrounded by the love and support of his parents. Lovingly known as Jimmy, the cheerful personality enjoyed watching football from an early age. He was a passionate supporter of the Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, which led him to join its radical support group, Riazor Blues. In adulthood, Jimmy reportedly entered into a relationship that eventually led him to embrace fatherhood with the birth of a daughter. His life was filled with joy again when his son was born. He was reportedly unable to secure a stable job, which often brought financial challenges into his life.
While some reports suggest Jimmy faced legal trouble and was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking within a stadium. Yet, no official records indicate any criminal convictions. By November 2014, he had begun rebuilding his life and made plans with the Riazor Blues group to visit Madrid, Spain, to watch Atlético de Madrid play his club. Around 8:30 am on November 30, Jimmy and his group arrived at the spot, but they were blindsided when another group attacked them.
During the attack, Jimmy and one of his friends, Santiago, were brutally assaulted with a metal rod and glass bottles before they were thrown into the river. Reports state that the 43-year-old remained in the water for around 30 minutes before authorities rescued him. Following initial emergency treatment, he was transferred to the nearest hospital. There, he was declared brain dead and sadly passed away 5 hours later. The autopsy determined his cause of death to be a combination of trauma to the head and internal bleeding.
CCTV Footage Led Authorities to Take Both Adults and Minors Into Custody
At the beginning of the investigation, officials were not present at the scene because the confrontation occurred before the match was scheduled to begin. As the situation came under control, authorities reportedly obtained CCTV footage from the scene. According to court records, it captured members of the Frente Atlético group already arriving around 8 am on November 30, 2014. More than 100 members waited with deadly weapons for the Riazor Blues. The surveillance footage reportedly showed that after the Riazor Blues group exited their vehicles, they were attacked by Frente Atlético. As per records, several of the members from both groups were badly beaten.
Upon further review of the surveillance footage, officials reportedly noticed a man being thrown into the river and identified the attacked person as Jimmy. Further records indicate that shortly thereafter, the footage showed a second man, identified as Santiago, falling into the river. As the investigation continued, digital forensic experts examined the mobile records of several members from both groups. According to police records, Riazor Blues and Frente Atlético had both posted messages in their respective sections, planning to fight before the match. On November 30, officials arrested 21 assailants at the scene. As the investigation continued, the number increased, and four more adults were taken into custody for murder.
A minor, Alvaro C.G., was also arrested on November 30, when his girlfriend reportedly contacted the officials to inform them that he had bragged about participating in the assault. Reports state that at the station, he recounted the events of the fateful day, acting as a protected witness for the authorities. According to investigative reports, things took a turn when it became clear that the detectives had misidentified Jimmy and Santiago in the video. It was reportedly revealed that the first person thrown into the river was Santiago, while the second individual was Jimmy. As per official records, when the court became aware of the evidentiary error, most of the accused were released.
Alvaro C.G. Has Likely Been Released From Prison and is Maintaining a Low Profile
After Alvaro C.G. was taken into custody, he reportedly gave officials a protected witness statement. However, since he was a juvenile at the time of the crime, his bench trial was held in juvenile court. During that, the prosecution claimed that he was an active participant in Jimmy’s assault and emphasized that he was also one of the people who threw objects like stones. They argued that his conduct made him responsible as a participant in the fatal attack inflicted on Jimmy. On the other hand, the defense denied that Alvaro had any responsibility for the homicide. Court records state that they contended he shouldn’t be made responsible for the activities of the larger group.
Moreover, the defense attempted to remove Alvaro’s protected witness statement and the evidence on the grounds that he was charged in an adult case. In February 2016, he was found responsible for homicide by a juvenile court and sentenced to six years of detention at a juvenile center. The court also ordered him to serve a two-year supervised probation upon completion of his detention term. However, the Provincial Court of Madrid overturned and annulled his homicide conviction in July, ruling that the key testimony of the protected witness was reportedly deemed highly unreliable. He was then legally cleared of the charge of homicide. Until then, 82 arrests in connection with the case had been made.
Things changed when the case was shelved in 2018. Court records indicate that the case was reopened after a woman testified about her former husband. In the testimony, the woman claimed that her ex-husband admitted to throwing one of the men into the river on November 30, per the records. The judge reportedly ruled that the testimony was insufficient for a conviction and once again closed the case. In October 2023, the Provincial Court of Madrid once again ordered the prosecution to reopen the case against several adult suspects, identified in documents by their initials — D.P., A.R.C., A.G.R., and R.S.G. However, as of today, the public records indicate that the definitive outcome against them remains undisclosed or pending. Currently, Alvaro appears to be out of prison and is seemingly maintaining a quiet life.
