Sevilla have officially decided to cut ties with rivals Real Betis, after a back and forth in the past week.
Betis decided to announce Sevilla players Juanlu Sanchez, Isaac Romero and Jose Angel Carmona for having a Betis crest flag with a “forbidden” sign after the most recent Sevilla derby. The trio ended up suspended for Los Nervionenses 1-0 win against Celta Vigo. Relief report that the Seville The dressing rooms were furious with Betis too.
The president of Betis, Angel Haro, had defended his actions on Tuesday night at the General Assembly, noting that they only drew attention to the image, instead of complaining.
“They surprised me. The professionals have to be respectful of the institutions and the symbols. We did not ask for a sports sanction, and we are not responsible for the fact that they were suspended for a game.”
The next day, Sevilla released an official statement declaring that they would cut ties with their rivals. In a long announcement, Sevilla noted that they did not feel that the directors of Betis had been at the required level, noting that the banner happened in a context of a hot rivalry, and was not intended to offend. They noted their disappointment, and said they had overlooked similar cases in the past from the other direction.
Betis is the second side Sevilla have cut ties with, after the Negreira Affair led them to do so with Barcelona. The rivalry in Sevilla has become particularly heated in recent years, both on and off the pitch. This will only increase the tension further.
