If Real Betis owner Manuel Ruiz de Lopera had any doubts about how the club’s fans viewed him, they were dispelled yesterday.
Over 60,000 fans of the Andalucian club took to the streets in Seville to protest against Lopera and called for him to leave the club.
Famous fans as well as former players were involved in the rally that saw the streets covered in green and white, and banners created to let the owner know their feelings.
The catalyst for the protests has undoubtedly been Betis’ relegation from La Primera last season and most significantly is the fact they were promised so much as the beginning of the season.
Talk of a UEFA Cup spot was gone even before Christmas as the Seville club flirted with the bottom three and eventually fell on the final day.Now, the fans want the owner to suffer too and even though he has said there are no buyers at the moment, he could well be forced out.
Amongst those at the protests was former Betis player Poli Rincon, who spoke to AS about the situation.
“Everything we are seeing today shows that Betis is the most special club there is. It is impossible for anything to be alive like this just days after dropping into La Segunda. I do not know what we will achieve, but it is clear that the fans have spoken loud and clear. By doing things like this, the club will continue to grow as it has over the last 100 years and more,” he explained.
images via daylife
