Tribal Football

Real Betis president Haro responds as Sevilla announce "severing all ties"

Carlos Volcano
Real Betis president Haro responds as Sevilla announce "severing all ties"
Real Betis president Haro responds as Sevilla announce "severing all ties"LaLiga
Real Betis president Angel Haro has responded to Sevilla announcement of cutting all ties with their neighbours.

Sevilla have acted after a complaint from Betis about the celebrations of Isaac Romero, Juanlu and Jose Angel Carmona with a banned flag after the derby win in October. It led to a one-match ban for each of the trio, which saw them miss the weekend game against Celta Vigo.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Haro, however, insisted today: "Betis did not report, they only informed the various commissions of the images that had been published. Those responsible are the people who committed the act, it would be terrible if the responsibility were ours.

"Betis will continue with the same attitude but will be even more severe when the club's symbols are attacked. I will always have a polite attitude but the symbols must not be touched."

Meanwhile, Sevilla declared in their statement: 

"Sevilla believes that the events reported by the Real Betis Balompié directors are part of the celebration of a match of great rivalry, on their own pitch and without any offensive purpose and does not understand why they can be interpreted as generating violence. It is surprising that the green and white club does not interpret these events in the context of rivalry and healthy Sevillian sportsmanship. And equally surprising is the decision of the Federation Committees to sanction these events in sporting terms, creating a dangerous precedent in all of Spanish football.

"Sevilla has shown magnanimity in similar cases, such as when players or even managers of Real Betis Balompié publicly mocked our players, understanding that certain excesses and even crimes had to remain within the scope of celebrations, even if they were signs of a lack of education and decorum. Sevilla believes that the managers of Real Betis Balompié were not up to the situation, the institution they represent and their fans, who knew how to interpret the situation much better. Clubs and fans to whom Sevilla shows, as always, its total respect.

"There was a time when cordiality reigned between the two entities. Sevilla understands the relationship between the two clubs in a very different, cordial and respectful way within the healthy framework of our sporting rivalry. Framework that Real Betis Balompié has decided to disappointingly transgress in order to seek sporting benefits beyond the playing fields. For this reason, our club has decided to sever relations with Real Betis Balompié, as we do not believe that such relations can remain in force when the leaders of the green and white club have deliberately and consciously sought to harm our club. This harms and damages Sevilla in sporting terms."