Fan violence halts Real Betis, Sevilla tie

    Sevilla coach Juane Ramos was knocked unconscious by a bottle as the match was called off with his team leading 1-0 on aggregate.

    "It was a shameful incident," Jaime Lissavetzky told radio station Cadena Ser on Thursday. "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, who spent the night in hospital, agreed with Lissavetzky. He said the two clubs had contributed to the tension that led to Wednesday's incident.

    "We added fuel to the fire," he told a news conference after being discharged from the 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 realize that that our words have a big impact and we must take more care," he continued.

    The build-up to the latest Seville derby was overshadowed by public disputes 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.

    It took mediation by the Andalucian regional government before 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.

    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 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. In 1999 a knife was thrown at Betis midfielder Benjamin at the Sevilla stadium.

    Two seasons later a Sevilla fan ran on to the pitch in an attempt to attack Betis keeper Toni Prats and a security guard was admitted to hospital after being attacked by a fan who hit him repeatedly with a crutch.

    The Betis-Sevilla match was not the only King's Cup tie to be marred by crowd problems on Wednesday.

    Barcelona goalkeeper Albert Jorquera was hit by a plastic bottle full of liquid at the end of his side's 2-1 victory at Real Zaragoza, while a window on the Barca team bus was smashed by rival fans.

    Lissavetzky compared the incidents to recent events in Italy in which a policeman was killed in rioting at the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo.

    "I don't want to scare people, but the example of Italy is very close," said Lissavetzky.

2007-03-02