Spain's sports minister has accused the directors of Real Betis
and Sevilla of inflammatory behaviour ahead of a King's Cup tie
that was abandoned after Sevilla coach Juande Ramos was knocked
unconscious by a bottle.
"It was a shameful incident," Jaime Lissavetzky told radio
station Cadena Ser yesterday. "In the days before the game certain
individuals from the clubs generated a climate that meant the game
could not take place in a normal atmosphere."
Ramos agreed with Lissavetzky saying that the two clubs had
contributed to the tension that had led to Wednesday's
incident.
"We added fuel to the fire," he told a news conference after
being discharged from hospital. "We are guilty of causing this
situation and can't expect the people to attend the stadium like
lambs when we have provoked them.
"We have to realise that that our words have a big impact and we
must take more care."
The build-up to the latest Seville derby was dominated by public
arguments between directors of the two clubs over whether or not
Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido would be allowed in the VIP
box at the Betis stadium.
After mediation by the Andalucian regional government, Betis
finally allowed Del Nido to attend the match although a number of
fans threw objects at him, one of which hit him on the nose, as he
took his seat.
Former Betis coach Ramos was hit on the back of the head by a
large plastic bottle full of liquid thrown from the crowd as he
celebrated his side's goal in their quarterfinal, second leg at the
Betis ground.
The match was abandoned with Sevilla leading the tie 1-0 on
aggregate.
Eye witnesses said objects had been thrown at the Sevilla coach
and his assistants throughout the match, while several Sevilla
players were subjected to racial abuse.
"Everything was raining down on them, screws, bottles, lighters.
It was terrible," one person told sports daily Marca.
The ambulance in which medical staff attended Ramos was hit by
bottles thrown by Betis fans, some of whom chanted "Ramos die".
Daily El Pais reported that some 200 Sevilla fans set light to
more than 60 rubbish bins and telephone booths when they were
denied entry to the stadium.
Matches between city rivals Sevilla and Betis are regularly
marred by crowd problems, including a 1999 incident when a knife
was thrown at Betis midfielder Benjamin in the derby at the Sevilla
stadium.
(China Daily via Agencies March 2, 2007)