…is best left to bloggers. Backstory: Seville’s two big soccer clubs, Sevilla and Betis, meet in a Copa del Rey clash on Wednesday. A bottle is thrown hitting Sevilla manager Juande Ramos on the head, rendering him unconscious and the match is stopped. Turns out much of the manager’s presidents’ behaviour in the lead up to the game may not have helped calm overenthusiastic behaviour by fans. Over to the bloggers… From South of Watford:
Football clubs in Spain frequently seem to be run by megalomaniac businessmen with a mental age and maturity that would leave most three year olds feeling a bit superior. The two clubs in Sevilla are excellent examples of this.
…some might subsititute the term ‘businessmen’ for mafiosos. Rod places blame firmly in the same camp:
No doubt inquests and serious recriminations will follow. Obviously, the fan who threw this is in the end to blame. But should not the directors who have been behaving like children – see the previous post – also take some responsibility?
Personally I think the media should also take some of the blame, no doubt they played their usual role in stirring things up before the game.
frank
2 Mar 07 at 5:20 pm
http://www.20minutos.es/galeria/2144/0/4/polemica/derbi/sevillano/
hf
2 Mar 07 at 6:07 pm
“Turns out much of the manager’s behaviour in the lead up to the game may not have helped calm overenthusiastic behaviour by fans”.
What did Juande do wrong? Surely you mean the presidente(s)?
Ben
2 Mar 07 at 7:59 pm
yes, sorry , presidentes!
Mark
5 Mar 07 at 2:48 pm
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=412528&root=europe&cc=5739&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
Phil Ball’s take on the events in Seville…
I must admit that La Liga is far better technically than the Premier League. Also there is the added bonus of fans actually owning the club, eg, the really big clubs which is such a contrast with the UK’s greedy money eating machines. Almost £50 for a ticket at Chelsea my team!!! Read it and weep hinchas de Barca y Real Madrid!
rod
5 Mar 07 at 4:59 pm
Thanks for the Phil Ball link, Mark, an interesting article.
Although ticket prices in Spain are by no means cheap, particularly given that I think its fair to say wages are lower. Tickets for the premium matches at Betis and Sevilla (the derbis, Barcelona and Real) could easily set you back €80 (ie about £50).
Pedrito J
6 Mar 07 at 12:00 am
I hear presidents talking, I read sports media, and I DO NOT THROW anything to anyone.
100% of the blame on the people throwing objects to the field.