3-match ban for Betis
Afp, Madrid
Real Betis received a three-match stadium ban on Friday after a fan threw a bottle during Wednesday's Cup tie with city rivals Seville, knocking the visitors' coach unconscious.Betis will also have to replay the remaining 33 minutes of their Spanish Cup quarterfinal return leg behind closed doors at first division side Getafe, who are based in the Madrid suburbs, Spain's football competition committee ruled. The body also decreed that disciplinary proceedings should be launched against Jose Maria del Nido and Pepe Leon, chairmen of Seville and Betis respectively, whom they accused of whipping up longstanding bad feeling between the two clubs beforehand.Spanish media had earlier suggested that Betis' stadium could be closed for 12 matches. Sevilla coach Juande Ramos said earlier Friday he was still in shock two days after a full bottle of water hit him in the back of the head during the match, which had to be abandoned in the second half with Seville leading 1-0. "I'm still in shock and I'm trying to get over it. The match was heated but I never could imagine that something like that could happen," Ramos told radio Cadena Ser. "I don't remember anything after being struck, nor what happened on the pitch," he added. Wednesday's incident occurred a month after a policeman died in crowd trouble in Sicily following a game between Catania and Palermo.
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