The Spanish Football Federation have dictated that Saturday’s match between Betis and Barça will take place in Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon stadium. Betis had appealed against their stadium being closed after the Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Armando was hit by a bottle two weeks ago, but the Appeals Committee today rejected their appeal and the Federation have told Betis that the game will now take place in Madrid.
To complicate things more Betis have appealed again, this time to the Committee of Sports Discipline, so Barça can still not be sure of where they are travelling to tomorrow and may have to change route when they are already travelling. A lawyer for Betis has declared that playing the game in Madrid is “almost an act of terrorism”, and while I feel he may be putting things a bit out of context here, he does have a point in saying that Real Madrid are playing Sevilla this weekend in Madrid, and so putting the four groups of fans in the same city is perhaps not a very clever idea, especially as this is supposed to be a move against football violence. Added to that I wonder if there is any plan for segregation of the fans who manage to make it to the game.
They really are making a tremendous mess of the whole thing. Betis have already been punished by having the result of the game with Athletic stand (1-2) despite it being suspended after 70 minutes. They have also been fined €9,ooo. The idiot who threw the bottle was arrested and will supposedly be punished for what he did. Admittedly, there was a similar case two years ago when Juande Ramos was also hit by a bottle at Betis, but when they are isolated incidents caused by one person, the collective punishment seems to me to be totally unfair.
Ultimately it is the decent fans who are made to pay, and the ones who can’t afford to make the trip are the ones who suffer most. If this wasn’t bad enough they can’t even decide on the venue 48 hours before the game. No doubt there will be no cheap flights at such short notice.
Perhaps as a Barça fan I should be happy about the decision, but at the end of the day a victory for Barça will now be said to be due to the change of ground. Real Madrid fans may well feel aggrieved at Barça gaining an unfair advantage, and while we might suggest that Madrid receive unfair help from referees every week, I would much rather win on a level playing field.
10 responses so far ↓
ronixavi // Mar 27, 2008 at 23:34
from an irish barca supporter and given the history of events in my country i can understand just how difficult an administration can make things for those ultimately affected by their decisions..i say come on barca - 4 -1 last week - give us another performance like that (particularly from bojan) and push madrid all the way…
Youssef Gazia // Mar 28, 2008 at 0:27
Im not spanish, but Barca fans are highly educated people. Just look at the fans at the camp nou, when Barca score, they clap! Ultras in spain are nothing compared to the viloent eastern Europe supporters, so I dont think there will be any problem concerning fan troubles.
P.S. I dont care whos says what, I just want the 3 points!!
Visca el Barca..
Youssef Gazia // Mar 28, 2008 at 0:28
Im not spanish, but Barca fans are highly educated people. Just look at the fans at the camp nou, when Barca score, they clap! Ultras in spain are nothing compared to the viloent eastern Europe supporters, so I dont think there will be any problem concerning fan troubles.
P.S. I dont care whos says what, I just want the 3 points!!
Vorksi // Mar 28, 2008 at 6:49
Youssef Gazai
there are violent fans everywhere
there will always be jerks in every country
i think thats kind of stereotypical and carist to assume that eastern european supporters are violent
sure some are but cant assume and say that all eastern european fans are
Youssef Gazia // Mar 28, 2008 at 12:45
True, Vorksi. But the i was talking about the majority.
Nic // Mar 28, 2008 at 13:09
Youssef - I don’t think you can say the majority of fans are violent for anywhere in the world. Even in England in the 1970s when hooliganism was at its height most games were without any problems, and when there was a fight it usually only involved about a dozen people. Unfortunately it is when there is a bigger fight that the press report it.
Youssef Gazia // Mar 29, 2008 at 0:19
I lived in Prague for 4 years. I can assure you that no match was played without a fight before or after the game.
By the way, hooliganism in England is nothing compared to hooliganism in eastern Europe.
ronixavi // Mar 29, 2008 at 9:23
put it like this youssef - hooligans are morons regardless of their stature or reputation - 99.9% of football fans are genuine…
p.s. mourinho to inter - oh dear…
Youssef Gazia // Mar 29, 2008 at 17:08
Mourinho to Inter, YES!
Jordi-FCB // Mar 31, 2008 at 15:55
Youssef Gazia the Hooligans of FC Barcelona the Boixos Nois would cause trouble away espacilly in Madril!!! The Barca away support in Lliga is mostly the Boixos Nois, the majortiy because most of the members have been banned from Camp Nou! Hooligans exsit everywhere in every club and are strong in Barcelona!
Fighting in Madril I don’t blame them I would join in after I was assulted by one of the Madridista scumbags after El Classico!
Visca l’Boixos Nois, Ara I Sempre Amb Els Blaugranas
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