The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium could be silenced for a month after Spain’s Anti Violence Commission came down hard on the disorder that marred Seville’s fierce derby last month. In a damning verdict, the body has proposed the closure and a combined €190,000 in fines for Sevilla and Real Betis following a litany of security failures and hate fueled incidents.
A major flashpoint was a massive tifo unveiled in the stands at kick off, honouring the 50th anniversary of the radical Biris Norte group. The Commission revealed the design was different from the one Sevilla submitted for approval just days before the match, and that the club dismissed a direct security warning about its links to ultras. The group themselves later boasted of orchestrating the display online, a clear breach of laws prohibiting the promotion of radical factions.
But the problems run deeper than one banner. The Commission’s report, citing a National Police investigation, details objects hurled onto the pitch and additional hate inciting banners found inside the ground including one referencing a violent pre match clash currently under police investigation. Pyrotechnics were also set off in both ends of the stadium, deemed a “serious threat to public safety.”
The fallout extends beyond the matchday itself. Both clubs have been slapped with separate fines €40,000 for Sevilla and €30,000 for Betis for failing to control security and access during the clubs’ open training sessions in the derby build up. The difference in the amounts reflects the number of pyrotechnic devices detected in each club’s fan sector during the game.
If ratified, the one month stadium shutdown would be a severe blow to Sevilla, hitting them both in prestige and the pocket. It serves as a stark warning to clubs across La Liga that turning a blind eye to ultra groups carries a heavy price. The proposed sanctions now await final confirmation, but the message from the authorities is already clear: the tolerance for this kind of chaos is at zero.
