Real Betis
Encyclopedia
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

, in the autonomous community of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín.

Amongst other titles, the club - who holds the distinction of being the first from the region to compete in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 - won the top division league in 1935, adding two Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

 trophies.

Both the King of Spain Juan Carlos I and his son Prince Felipe de Borbon
Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Felipe, Prince of Asturias de Borbón y de Grecia; born 30 January 1968), is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain....

 are honorary members of the club. Maintaining an historic city rivalry
Seville derby
The Seville derby is the name of a local city derby located in Seville, Spain contested between Real Betis and Sevilla.Sevilla were founded in 1905, after an internal dispute between board members Betis was founded after merging with another side Balompíe in 1914. On 8 October 1915, the first...

 with Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

, its motto is Viva er Betis manque pierda! ("Long live Betis even when they lose!").

History

The name is derived from Baetis
Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica was one of three Imperial Roman provinces in Hispania, . Hispania Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica was part of Al-Andalus under the Moors in the 8th century and approximately corresponds to modern Andalucia...

, the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

 name for the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...

 river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

. Betis initially attracted support from the working classes although a large number of aristocrats, including the King of Spain also supported the team. Real was added in 1914 after the club received patronage from King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...

. Some fans argue the Betis is the true Real as it was the first to receive royal patronage.

Foundation

Great rivals Sevilla Football Club
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

 were officially created in October 1905. This was followed two years later (September 1907) by the city's second club Sevilla Balompié. Balompié literally translates as football, as opposed to the most commonly adopted anglicised version: futbol. Balompié was founded by students from the local Polytechnic Academy, and were in operation for two years before being officially recognised (in 1909), despite this 1907 remains the official foundation date of the club.

Following an internal split from Sevilla FC another club was formed, Betis Foot-ball Club. 1914 saw the culmination of a merger between Betis Foot-ball Club and Sevilla Balompié. With the patronage title, the club became Real Betis Balompié.

Fans continued to refer to the club as Balompié, and themselves were known as Los Balompedistas, until the thirties when Betis and the adjective Beticos became common terminology when discussing the club and its followers.

Golden years (the 1930s) and decline

During the Spanish Second Republic both Betis and Madrid dropped Real from their names, thus the club was called just Betis Balompié until after the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

 when it would revert back to the full name. Betis marked their 25th anniversary year in style winning their first Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...

 title in 1932, thus becoming the first club from Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

 to join La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

.

In the First a great squad was formed under the guidance of Patrick O'Connell
Patrick O'Connell (1887-1959)
Patrick Joseph O'Connell , also known as Paddy O'Connell or Patricio O'Connell, was an Irish footballer and manager. He played as a defender, most notably, for Belfast Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City and Manchester United. As an international he captained Ireland and was a member of the...

 which on the 28th of April 1935 won the league, to date Betis one and only top division title. This win made Betis only the fourth of nine different teams to lift the trophy.

A year later, true to its idiosyncrasies, Betis went from the top down to finish only seventh. This was due to the dismantling of the champion team because of the clubs poor economic situation and the arrival of the Civil War, meaning that just 15 months after lifting the league title only two champion players were left: Peral and Saro. No official league was held during the between 1936 until its resumption for the 1939-40 season and the first year back highlighted Betis decline as exactly five years after winning the title the club was relegated.

Darkest period

Despite a brief return to the top division, which lasted only one season, the club continued to decline and in 1947 the worst fears were reached when they were relegated to Tercera División
Tercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...

. Many fans see the ten years they spent in the category as key to the 'identity' and 'soul' of the club, a time that saw it win sympathies all across Spain. During this time Betis earned a reputation for filling its stadium and having a massive support at away matches, known as the Green March.

When the side returned to the second level in 1954, it gained the distinction of being the only club in Spain to have won all three major divisions' titles. Much of the credit for guiding Betis through this dark period and back into the Segunda lies with chairman Manuel Ruiz Rodríguez.

Benito Villamarín

In 1955, Manuel Ruiz Rodriguez stepped down from running the club believing he couldn't offer further economic growth, he was replaced by Betis most famous former president Benito Villamarin. During his reign Betis returned to the top division in 1958–59 and achieved a best-ever third position in 1964. His purchase of the Estadio Heliópolis in 1961 is seen as a key point in the history of the club - the grounds were called the Estadio Benito Villamarín until 1997.

Villamarín is also credited with helping launch rising star Luis del Sol
Luis del Sol
Luis del Sol Cascajares is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.He played in 112 La Liga games for Betis and Real Madrid combined, winning five major titles with the latter....

, who would go on to earn 16 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 for Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

, but also had to make unpopular decisions such as selling him. Villamarín would step aside after 10 years at the helm and would die of cancer one year later, in 1966.

Just one year after Villamarín's departure the club would again be relegated to division two, then rising and falling almost consecutively until consolidating their place in the top level from 1974–75.

Copa del Rey success and Europe

On 25 June 1977, Betis played Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...

 at the Vicente Calderón Stadium
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous...

, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

, in the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

 final. The match finished 2–2, with Betis winning 8–7 after a staggering 21 penalties. This rounded off a solid season in which the club finished fifth in the league.

After that triumph, Betis competed in the European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

: after knocking out A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

 3–2 on aggregate in the first round, the side reached the quarterfinals where they lost to FC Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...

. In spite of a good overall performance in Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

, the team suffered league relegation.

The following year Betis quickly returned to the top flight and a period of good times for the club. The next three seasons saw three top-six finishes, and UEFA Cup qualification in 1982 and 1984. 1982 saw a first round defeat to S.L. Benfica, who would go on lose in the final
1983 UEFA Cup Final
The 1983 UEFA Cup Final was played on 4 May 1983 and 18 May 1983 between R.S.C. Anderlecht of Belgium and SL Benfica of Portugal. Anderlecht won 2–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:* *...

, and the next participation also ended in the first round, on penalties against FC Universitatea Craiova
FC Universitatea Craiova
Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...

.

During the summer of 1982, the Benito Villamarín hosted two matches as part of the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...

, and also witnessed the Spanish national team's famous 12–1 hammering
Spain vs Malta 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match
The Spain vs Malta 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match was one of the most important matches ever played by the Spain national team...

 of Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...

 in order to qualify for UEFA Euro 1984.

In 1986, Betis lost in the final of the soon-to-be defunct Spanish League Cup
Copa de la Liga
The Copa de la Liga was a Spanish football tournament created in 1982.Due to time constraints, saturation and club pressure, the competition only lasted four years, being cancelled in 1986...

, against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

.

Economic crisis and Manuel Ruiz de Lopera

Betis again returned to a club rising and falling from the First almost every season until 1992 when it was forced to meet new rules and regulations, meaning the club was required to cover a capital of 1,200 million pesetas
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...

, roughly double that of all the first and second division teams, despite being in level two at the time.

In just three months the fans raised 400 million pesetas, an equivalent to between 60-100% of most top division teams, and vice-president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera
Manuel Ruiz de Lopera
Manuel Ruiz de Lopera Ávalos is the former owner and chairman of the Spanish football club Real Betis.-References:...

 stepped in providing economic guarantee while himself becoming majority shareholder as the team narrowly avoided relegation.

Serra Ferrer success

After another three seasons in the second division, with the club managed by Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, Betis returned to the top flight for the 1994–95 season, subsequently overachieving for a final third position, thus qualifying to the UEFA Cup.

In the European campaign, Betis knocked out Fenerbahçe SK (4–1 on aggregate) and 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...

 (4–1) before losing to defeated finalists
1996 UEFA Cup Final
The 1996 UEFA Cup Final was played on May 1, 1996 and May 15, 1996 between Bayern Munich of Germany and FC Girondins de Bordeaux of France. Bayern Munich won the two matches 5–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:...

 FC Girondins de Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....

 (3–2). In 1997, thirty years after winning the trophy for the first time, the club returned to the final of the Spanish Cup, again in Madrid, although this time at the Santiago Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....

, losing 2–3
1997 Copa del Rey Final
-References:...

 against Barcelona, after extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...

.

Incidentally Barça was the club Serra Ferrer would leave Betis for that summer, to be replaced by former player Luis Aragonés
Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....

. Aragonés would only last one season with the club leading in to the eighth position, and to the quarterfinals in the Cup Winners' Cup, losing 2–5 on aggregate to eventual winners Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

.

Aragonés was followed by the controversial reign of Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente Lázaro, is a Spanish football manager. The veteran La Liga manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao and RCD Espanyol. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain and went 31 games unbeaten. He was also the the first foreign manager of Serbia. His most recent...

, who spat on a fan and implied Andalusia was another country! The team slipped down the table, finishing eleventh and being knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...

 in the third round. For the next couple of seasons Betis went through numerous managers, a relegation and a promotion, after which the team finished sixth in the league, with Juande Ramos at the helm.

Ramos was gone after just one season, being replaced by former Cup Winners' Cup-winning manager Víctor Fernández. He led the team to eighth and ninth in the league and the third round of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, being knocked out by AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...

 (1–2 on aggregate), during his two-year reign.

For 2004, Fernandez was replaced by the returning Serra Ferrer who guided the team to the fourth position in the top flight
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...

. They also returned to the Vicente Calderón, on 11 June 2005 for the domestic cup final, lifting the trophy for only the second time after an extra-time winner by youth graduate Dani
Daniel Martín
Daniel Martín Alexandre, commonly known as Dani , is a Spanish footballer who plays for CD Atlético Baleares as a striker.-Club career:...

, in a 2–1 win against CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...

.

The league finish meant Betis became the first Andalucian team to compete in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

, and it reached the group stage after disposing of AS Monaco FC
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

 in the last qualifying round (3–2 on aggregate). Drawn in Group G, and in spite of a 1–0 home win against Chelsea, the club eventually finished third, being "demoted" to the UEFA Cup, where it would be ousted in the round of 16 by defeated FC Steaua Bucureşti (0–0 away draw, 0–3 home loss).

Centenary celebrations

Betis celebrated their centenary
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...

 year in 2007. The festivities included a special match against AC Milan, the reigning European Champions
2007 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA...

, on 9 August, with the hosts winning 1–0 thanks to a Mark González
Mark González
Mark Dennis González Hoffman , commonly known as Mark González, is a South African-born Chilean footballer whose preferred position is as a left winger. Renowned for his lightning pace, he is nicknamed "Speedy González". González currently plays for CSKA Moscow.-Early life:Mark González was born in...

 penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...

 early in the second half. Seven days later, the club won the Ramon de Carranza Trophy
Ramón de Carranza Trophy
The Ramón de Carranza Trophy is a pre-season football tournament organised by Cádiz CF, in memory of its former president, Ramón de Carranza - after whom their stadium is named as well....

 held in neighbouring Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....

, beating Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

 on penalties in the final, after defeating Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

 in the semi-final.

Surrounding the celebration, it was a time of great change in terms of the playing and technical teams, with eight new signings replacing fourteen departures. During the two seasons (2006–07 and 2007–08) that encompassed the centenary year Betis had four different managers. During the latter campaign, the club was the 37th-best followed team in Europe regarding average attendances
Average attendances of European football clubs
The following is a table showing average attendances for football clubs in Europe in domestic league matches. The specific seasons are listed alongside each team, with the default being the 2010–11 season...

.

Segunda División

After many years of staving off relegation, Betis' 2008–09 season culminated with a 1–1 draw against Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....

 at home. With this outcome, the club finished 18th in the table and consequently was relegated to the second division.

On 15 June 2009, over 65,000 Beticos including icons such as Rafael Gordillo
Rafael Gordillo
Rafael Gordillo Vázquez is a retired Spanish footballer.A tremendously offensive left wingback, equally at ease as defender and midfielder and with a good effort rate, he had an unmistakable style of playing with his socks down, he represented with individual and team success Betis and Real...

, del Sol, Hipólito Rincón
Hipólito Rincón
Hipólito 'Poli' Rincón Povedano is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.During a 12-year professional career, he played mainly for and Real Madrid and Real Betis, amassing La Liga totals of 239 games and 81 goals.Having gained slightly more than 20 caps for Spain, Rincón appeared...

, Julio Cardeñosa
Julio Cardeñosa
Julio Cardeñosa Rodríguez is a former Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.During his extensive career, he played almost exclusively for Real Betis, retiring well past his 30's....

 and others joined the protest march in Sevilla with the slogan "15-J Yo Voy Betis" to let the majority owner Ruiz de Lopera know that it was time to put his 54% share of the club on the market for someone, some entity or the Betis supporters to buy those shares and remove Lopera from the day to day operations of the club."

Despite the protests, no upper management changes were made during the season
2009–10 Segunda División
The 2009–10 Segunda División was made up of the following teams:-League table:||rowspan=15 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|-2009–10 Results:To read this table, the home team is listed in the left-hand column....

, which would ultimately see Betis fail to gain promotion back to the top level.

Lopera court action and sale

Sevilla judge Mercedes Alaya was investigating links between Betis and other Ruiz de Lopera-owned businesses leading to him being formally charged with fraud. On 7 July 2010, one week before the start of preliminary court proceedings, Lopera sold 94% of the shares that he owned (51% of Betis total shares) to Bitton Sport, fronted by Luis Oliver, for the surprisingly low figure of
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

16 million, leaving Lopera with only minor shares; Oliver had already reportedly taken two football clubs, Cartagena FC
Cartagena FC
Cartagena Fútbol Club is a Spanish football team based in Cartagena, in the autonomous community of Murcia. Founded in 1940, it plays in Tercera División - Group 13, holding home games at Ciudad Deportiva Gómez Meseguer, with a capacity of 2,000 seats....

 and Xerez CD
Xerez CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, S.A.D., usually just Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia...

, to the brink of bankruptcy.

However, before the sale could be officially sanctioned Ayala froze Lopera shareholdings. Left with nothing, despite putting down a €1 million deposit, Oliver hastily bought a nominal number of shares from a third party and was voted onto the board of directors by the existing members (all former cohorts of Lopera), allowing him to carry on running the club. In response to this, the judge appointed well-respected former Betis, Real Madrid and Spain legend Rafael Gordillo
Rafael Gordillo
Rafael Gordillo Vázquez is a retired Spanish footballer.A tremendously offensive left wingback, equally at ease as defender and midfielder and with a good effort rate, he had an unmistakable style of playing with his socks down, he represented with individual and team success Betis and Real...

 to administrate Lopera's shares to ensure Lopera was not still running the club and that decisions made were for the benefit of the club not individual board members.

Seville derby

Betis have a long-standing rivalry with city neighbours Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

. The two have met 114 times in official competition, with Sevilla holding a 45% win ratio over Betis (31%).

The first match between the two clubs took place on 8 February 1915, with Sevilla winning 4–3. The match was not completed, as high tensions led an aggressive crowd to invade the pitch, forcing the referee to abandon the match.

In 1916, the first Copa Andalucia was held, this being the first official derby of the Seville area. Of the 17 runnings of the cup, Sevilla were victorius 14 times, to Betis' one sole conquest; this included a 22–0 routing after the latter sent their youth team, in 1918.

The first time the teams met in league, in Segunda, happened in 1928–29, with both teams winning their home matches (3–0 and 2–1). They played for the first time in the Spanish top division during the 1934–35 season, with a 0–3 home defeat for Sevilla and a 2–2 draw at Betis, with the latter winning the national championship.

On 17 January 1943, Betis lost 5–0 at Sevilla, eventually being relegated. In the first game held at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium, on 21 September 1958, the Verdiblancos won it 4–2.

In later years, several matches were also marred by violence, including: a security guard attacked by a Sevilla fan with a crutch (that he did not require to walk), Betis goalkeeper Toni Prats
Antonio Prats Cervera
Antonio 'Toni' Prats Cervera is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper....

 being attacked and Sevilla manager Juande Ramos being struck by a bottle of water; the latter incident led to the 2007 Spanish Cup match being suspended, being played out three weeks later in Getafe
Getafe
Getafe is a city in the southern zone of the Madrid metropolitan area, Spain, and one of the most populated and industrialized cities in the municipality. The city is home to one of the oldest Spanish military air bases, as well as the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid...

 with no spectators.

On 7 February 2009, Betis won 2–1 at the Pizjuán, but was eventually relegated from the top flight, while Sevilla finished in third position.

La Liga

Team Wins Home Away
Betis 28 18 10
Sevilla 38 26 12

Played 84, with 18 draws.
  • Betis have scored 101 goals against their rivals, but have conceded 118.

Segunda División

Team Wins Home Away
Betis 4 2 2
Sevilla 6 3 3

Played 14, with 6 draws.

Copa del Rey

Team Wins Home Away
Betis 4 4 0
Sevilla 7 5 2

Played 16, with 5 draws.

Recent La Liga seasons

Real Betis were relegated during the 1999–2000 season from La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

, but promoted back on its first attempt.
Season Pos P W D L F A Pts
1996–97 4 42 21 14 7 81 46 77
1997–98 8 38 17 8 13 49 50 59
1998–99 11 38 14 7 17 47 58 49
1999–00 18 38 11 9 18 33 56 42
2001–02 6 38 15 14 9 42 34 59
2002–03 8 38 14 12 12 56 53 54
2003–04 9 38 13 13 12 46 43 52
2004–05
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...

4 38 16 14 8 62 50 62
2005–06
2005–06 La Liga
* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...

14 38 10 12 16 34 51 42
2006–07 16 38 8 16 14 36 49 40
2007–08 13 38 12 11 15 45 51 47
2008–09 18 38 10 12 16 51 58 42

Current squad

As of 24 August 2011

Technical staff

Position Name Nationality
Head coach: Pepe Mel
Pepe Mel
José "Pepe" Mel Pérez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker, and the current manager of Real Betis.-Playing career:...

  Spanish
Assistant coach: Roberto Ríos
Roberto Ríos
Roberto Ríos Patus is a retired Spanish professional footballer who played as a central defender.-Club career:...

  Spanish
Trainer: David Gómez   Spanish
Goalkeeping coach: José Ramón Esnaola   Spanish
Delegate: Víctor Antequera   Spanish

Medical staff

Position Name Nationality
Doctor: Tomás Calero   Spanish
Recuperator: David Gómez   Spanish
Physiotherapist: José Manuel Pizarro   Spanish
Masseur: José Mª Montiel   Spanish
Psychologist: Patricia Ramírez   Spanish
Helpers: Jose Manuel Acuña   Spanish
Helpers: Manuel Barrera   Spanish

Scouting staff

Position Name Nationality
Head scout: Ángel Becerra   Spanish
Head scout: Vlada Stošić
Vlada Stošic
Vlada Stošic is a retired Yugoslav/Serbian footballer.A midfielder, he his best known for his spell for Red Star Belgrade in the 80's/90's, being part of the side's European Cup victory in 1991....

  Serbian
Scout: Keke Durán   Spanish
Scout: Antonio Jiménez   Spanish
Scout/B-team assistant: Aurelio Santos   Spanish

Board of directors

Name Nationality Role
Miguel Guillén President
Pablo Gómez Falcón Vice-president
José Antonio Bosch Counselor
Fernando Criado Counselor
Antonio Sánchez Pino Counselor
María Isabel Simó Counselor
León Lasa Counselor
Manuel Domínguez Plata Council secretary

Official

  • La Liga
    La Liga
    The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

    : 1934–35
  • Copa del Rey
    Copa del Rey
    The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

    : 1977, 2005; runners-up 1931
    1931 Copa del Rey
    The Copa del Rey 1931 is the 29th staging of the Copa del Rey.The competition started on April 12, 1931 and concluded on June 21, 1931 with the Final, held at the Estadio Chamartín in Madrid.-Round of 28:...

    , 1997
    1996–97 Copa del Rey
    -External links:*...

  • Segunda División
    Segunda División
    The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...

    : 1931–32, 1941–42, 1957–58, 1970–71, 1973–74, 2010–11
    2010–11 Segunda División
    -Personnel and sponsorship:-Managerial changes:-League table:||style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=11 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|-Positions by round:Source: -Results:...

  • Tercera División
    Tercera División
    Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...

    : 1953–54

Zamora Trophy
Ricardo Zamora Trophy
The Ricardo Zamora Trophy is a football award, established by Spanish newspaper MARCA in 1958. The award goes to the goalkeeper who has the lowest "goals-to-games" ratio. It is named after legendary Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora....

  • Joaquín Urquiaga (1934–35)
  • Pedro Jaro
    Pedro Luis Jaro
    Pedro Luis Jaro Reguero is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.-Football career:After emerging through local CD Colonia Moscardó's youth ranks, Jaro started his professional career with Cádiz CF, in 1983–84, playing once in an eventual La Liga relegation...

     (1994–95)

Managers

  José Suárez "Peral" >
Manager Year Notes
  Manuel Ramos Asenio 1911–14, 1914–15
  Richard Herbert Jones 1914, 1916 Also first president
  J.P. Bryce 1917
  Carmelo Navarro 1918
  Basilio Clemente 1918
  Salvador Llinat 1920
  Andrés Aranda 1922, 1939–40, 1943–46, 1949–52, 1965
  Ramón Porlan y Merlo 1923
  Alberto Álvarez 1924
  Carlos Castañeda 1925
  Juan Armet "Kinké"
Juan Armet
Juan Armet de Castellví, nicknamed "Kinké" was a Spanish football player coach.-Career:de Castellví was the manager of Real Madrid since 1941 until September 1943. He played for RCD Espanyol and Sevilla FC. He also coached Real Betis, Real Murcia, Olímpica Jienense and CE Sabadell FC.-References:...

 
1927–30 First year of league competition (1929)
  Emilio Sampere 1930–32 Segunda champion 1932
  Patrick O'Connell  1932–36, 1940–42, 1946–47 La Liga champion 1935
  Cesáreo Baragaño 1942–43
  Francisco Gómez 1942–43, 1953–55
  Pedro Solé 1944–45
1946–47, 1948–49
  José Quirante
José Quirante
José Quirante Pineda was a soccer player and manager. He coached Real Madrid during the first Spanish league season....

 
1947-48 First to play for both Real Madrid and Barcelona
  Manuel Olivares
Manuel Olivares
Manuel Olivares Lapeña was a Spanish footballer who played for Deportivo Alavés, Madrid CF, Donostia CF, Zaragoza CF, Hércules CF, CD Málaga, Algeciras CF and also for Spain....

 
1952–53
  Sabino Barinaga
Sabino Barinaga Alberdi
Sabino Barinaga Alberdi , is a former Spanish footballer and coach.Sabino Barinaga played for Southampton FC, Athletic de Bilbao, Real Madrid, Real Valladolid, Real Sociedad and Real Betis...

 
1955, 1960, 1968–69
  Pepe Valera 1955–57, 1967–68
  Iturraspe 1957
  Antonio Barrios
Antonio Barrios
Antonio Barrios Seoane was a Spanish professional football coach. He managed a number of club sides including Real Valladolid, Racing de Santander, Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Madrid, Real Betis, Espanyol, Elche, Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Recreativo de Huelva.He also played for Arenas de...

 
1957–59, 1967, 1969–72 Segunda champion 1958 and 1971
  Josep Seguer  1959 Capped 4 times
  Enrique Fernández
Enrique Fernández Viola
Enrique Fernández Viola, commonly referred to as Enrique Fernández, was a Uruguayan footballer and manager who played for Nacional, FC Barcelona, Uruguay and the Catalan XI. As a manager he won two Uruguayan championships with Nacional and La Liga titles with both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid...

 
1959–60 Two times Uruguayan champion, Three times La Liga champion (2x Barcelona, 1x Real Madrid)
  Fernando Daucik
Fernando Daucik
Ferdinand Daučík is a former Slovak football player and manager. Daucik was the manager of several La Liga clubs, most notably CF Barcelona, Atlético Bilbao, Atlético Madrid and Real Zaragoza...

 
1960–63, 1968–69 Three times La Liga champion (2x Barcelona, 1x Athletic)
  Ernesto Pons 1963, 1965, 1966
  Domènec Balmanya
Domènec Balmanya
Domènec Balmanya Perera , also referred to as Domingo Balmanya, is a former Spanish footballer and manager who spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona. As a manager he guided CF Barcelona to the a Copa del Generalísimo win in 1957 and to victory in the first ever Fairs Cup in 1958...

 
1963–64 La Liga champion (Atlético)
  Louis Hon  1964–65 Capped 12 times
  Martim Francisco 1965–66
  Luis Belló 1966–67
  César Reyes 1967–68
  Miguel González 1969–70
  Esteban Areta
Esteban Areta
Esteban Areta Vélez was a Spanish footballer, who played as a defender.-External links:*** * * *...

 
1971–72
  Ferenc Szusza
Ferenc Szusza
Ferenc Szusza was one of Hungary's greatest football players.Szusza was a top division player of Újpest FC from 1941 to 1960...

 
1972–76 Segunda champion 1974
  Rafael Iriondo
Rafael Iriondo
Rafael Iriondo Aurtenechea is a retired Spanish football forward and manager.-Club career:Iriondo arrived at Basque giants Athletic Bilbao in 1940, from Atletico Tetuán...

 
1976–78, 1981–82 Copa del Rey winner, 1977
  Garcia Traid 1978–79
  León Lasa 1979–1980
  Luis Cid 1979–81, 1984–86
  Luis Aragonés
Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....

 
1981, 1997–98 Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

 manager - Euro 2008 winners
  Pedro Buenaventura 1982, 1988–89
  Antal Dunai
Antal Dunai
Antal Dunai, also known as Dunai II is a former Hungarian footballer. He became a first division player at Pécsi Dózsa, but he spent the majority of his career at Újpesti Dózsa from 1965 to 1977, when he moved to Debreceni VSC....

 
1982 Capped 31 times
  Marcel Domingo
Marcel Domingo
Marcel Domingo Algara was a former French association football goalkeeper and manager of Spanish origin. He spent part of his career in Spain...

 
1982–83 Capped once
  Pepe Alzate 1983–85
  Luis del Sol
Luis del Sol
Luis del Sol Cascajares is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.He played in 112 La Liga games for Betis and Real Madrid combined, winning five major titles with the latter....

 
1985–87, 2001 Youth player, capped 16 times
  John Mortimore
John Mortimore (footballer)
John Mortimore is an English former association football player and manager. He played as a centre half in the Football League for Chelsea, with whom he scored 10 goals from 279 games in all competitions between 1956 and 1965 and won the 1965 Football League Cup, and for Queens Park Rangers...

 
1987–88 Portuguese champion, 1977 and 1987
  Eusebio Ríos  1988
  Cayetano Ré
Cayetano Ré
Cayetano Ré Ramírez is a former Paraguayan footballer striker and coach who was born in Asunción, on 7 February 1938. He is famous for being one of the first professional footballers to be open about having Asperger syndrome.-Career:...

 
1988–89 Capped 25 times
  Juan Corbacho 1989
  Julio Cardeñosa
Julio Cardeñosa
Julio Cardeñosa Rodríguez is a former Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.During his extensive career, he played almost exclusively for Real Betis, retiring well past his 30's....

 
1990 Copa del Rey winner, 1977
  José Luis Romero  1990–91
  José Ramón Esnaola  1991, 1993 Club player/goalkeeper coach
Jozef Jarabinsky
Jozef Jarabinský
Jozef Jarabinský is a former Czechoslovak football player and later a football manager of Slovak origin.He played for Slovan Bratislava, Bohemians, Dukla Prague and Sparta Prague....

 
1991–92
  Felipe Mesones 1992
  Jorge D'Alessandro 1992–93
  Sergije Krešić
Sergije Krešic
Sergije Krešić is a Croatian football manager and former player, who most recently coached UD Las Palmas. In Spain he is known by the name Sergio Kresic.- Playing career :...

 
1993–94
  Lorenzo Serra Ferrer  1994–97, 2004–06 Copa del Rey winner 2005
  António Oliveira
António Luís Alves Ribeiro Oliveira
António Luís Alves Ribeiro de Oliveira is a retired Portuguese football attacking midfielder and manager.As a player, he notably represented two of the Big Three in his country, Porto and Sporting, amassing totals of 277 games and 87 first division goals between the two, and also later managing...

 
1998
  Vicente Cantatore
Vicente Cantatore
Vicente Cantatore is a Chilean-Argentina former football player and manager.He played for Talleres de Córdoba, Tigre, San Lorenzo, Rangers de Talca, Santiago Wanderers and Deportes Concepción....

 
1998
  Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente Lázaro, is a Spanish football manager. The veteran La Liga manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao and RCD Espanyol. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain and went 31 games unbeaten. He was also the the first foreign manager of Serbia. His most recent...

 
1998–99 Spain manager 1992–98
  Carlos Griguol
Carlos Timoteo Griguol
Carlos Timoteo Griguol is an Argentine football coach and former player.His playing career was spent with Atlanta and Rosario Central. As a coach, after winning the championship with Rosario Central in 1973. He had 3 spells and a successful career in the Rosario's club...

 
1999–2000
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...

 
2000 Managed several national teams
Faruk Hadžibegić  2000 Club player, capped 61 times (Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...

)
  Fernando Vázquez
Fernando Vázquez
Fernando Vázquez Pena is a Spanish football manager.-Football career:Vázquez was an English teacher in the Galician town of Lalín. It was there where he began to get involved with the school's athletics, especially football...

 
2000–01
  Juande Ramos  2001–02 UEFA Cup winner, Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

, 2006 and 2007
  Víctor Fernández  2002–04, 2010 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

 winner, Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

, 1995
  Javier Irureta
Javier Irureta
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano , Irureta for short, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward, and a current manager....

 
2006 La Liga champion, Deportivo
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...

, 2000
  Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández is a Spanish-French footballer who played as a defender / midfielder. He retired as a player in 1993 to become a manager....

 
2006–2007 Cup Winners' Cup winner, Paris SG, 1996
  Paco Chaparro  2007, 2008–09
  Héctor Cúper
Héctor Cúper
Héctor Raúl Cúper is an Argentinean former football defender and a current manager.-Coach:...

 
2006
  José María Nogués
José María Nogués
Josep María Nogués Salvatella, , better known as José María Nogués is a Spanish manager, currently coaching Real Betis...

 
2009
  Antonio Tapia
Antonio Tapia
Antonio Tapia Flores is a Spanish football manager.-Football career:Tapia had an unassuming career as a footballer, only representing Atlético Malagueño and amateurs UD Fuengirola...

 
2009–10
  Pepe Mel
Pepe Mel
José "Pepe" Mel Pérez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker, and the current manager of Real Betis.-Playing career:...

 
2010–

Presidents

  • SEVILLA BALOMPIÉ
    • Juan del Castillo Ochoa (1907–09)
    • Alfonso del Castillo Ochoa (1909–10)
    • José Gutiérrez Fernández (1910–11)
    • Juan del Castillo Ochoa (1912)
    • Herbert Richard Jones (1914)

  • BETIS FÚTBOL CLUB
    • Eladio García de la Borbolla (1909)
    • Manuel Gutiérrez Fernández (1910–11)
    • Miguel Folgado (1913–14)
    • Pedro Rodríguez de la Borbolla (1914)

  • REAL BETIS BALOMPIÉ
    • Herbert Richard Jones (1914–15)
    • Pedro Rodríguez de la Borbolla (1915–17)
    • Roberto Vicente de Mata (1917–18)
    • Eduardo Hernández Nalda (1918–19)
    • Carlos Alarcón de la Lastra (1919–20)
    • Jerónimo Pérez de Vargas (1920–21)
    • Carlos Alarcón de la Lastra (1921–22)
    • Gil Gómez Bajuelo (1922–23)
    • Ramón Navarro (1923–25)
    • Antonio Polo (1925–26)
    • Ramón Cortecero (1926–27)
    • Antonio de la Guardia (1927–28)
    • Ignacio Sánchez Mejías
      Ignacio Sánchez Mejías
      Ignacio Sánchez Mejías was a famous Spanish bullfighter. He was also a writer. He enjoyed enormous popularity — he was attractive to women, admired by men, and a sympathetic personality to artists, especially those of the Generación del 27.When he died after a goring in the Plaza of...

       (1928–29)
    • Daniel Mezquita (1929–30)

    • Camilo Romero Sánchez (1930)
    • Adolfo Cuelliar Rodríguez (1930–31)
    • Jose Ignacio Mantecón (1931–33)
    • Antonio Moreno Sevillano (1933–39)
    • Ramón Poll (1940–42)
    • Alfonso Alarcón de Lastra (1942–43)
    • Francisco Cantalapiedra (1943–44)
    • Eduardo Benjumena (1944–45)
    • Manuel Romero Puerto (1945–46)
    • Filomeno de Aspe (1946–47)
    • Pascual Aparicio (1947–50)
    • Francisco de la Cerda (1950–52)
    • Manuel Ruiz Rodríguez (1952–55)
    • Benito Villamarín (1955–65)
    • Avelino Villamarín (1965–66)
    • Andrés Gaviño (1966–67)
    • Julio de la Puerta (1967–69)
    • José León
      José León Gómez
      José León Gómez, or simply Pepe Leon, is the current acting president of Real Betis Balompié - this being his third run as Betis chairman. He was born March 23, 1935 in Dos Hermanas, Seville. Pepe Leon made his fortune as an industrialist....

       (1969)
    • José Núñez Naranjo (1969–79)
    • Juan Manuel Mauduit (1979–83)
    • Gerardo Martínez Retamero (1983–89)
    • Hugo Galera (1989–92)
    • José León
      José León Gómez
      José León Gómez, or simply Pepe Leon, is the current acting president of Real Betis Balompié - this being his third run as Betis chairman. He was born March 23, 1935 in Dos Hermanas, Seville. Pepe Leon made his fortune as an industrialist....

       (1992–96)
    • Manuel Ruiz de Lopera
      Manuel Ruiz de Lopera
      Manuel Ruiz de Lopera Ávalos is the former owner and chairman of the Spanish football club Real Betis.-References:...

       (1996–2006)
    • José León
      José León Gómez
      José León Gómez, or simply Pepe Leon, is the current acting president of Real Betis Balompié - this being his third run as Betis chairman. He was born March 23, 1935 in Dos Hermanas, Seville. Pepe Leon made his fortune as an industrialist....

       (2006–10)
    • Rafael Gordillo
      Rafael Gordillo
      Rafael Gordillo Vázquez is a retired Spanish footballer.A tremendously offensive left wingback, equally at ease as defender and midfielder and with a good effort rate, he had an unmistakable style of playing with his socks down, he represented with individual and team success Betis and Real...

       (2010-2011)
    • Miguel Guillén (2011-)


Club records

  • Best La Liga
    La Liga
    The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

     position
    : Champion (1934–35)
  • Worst La Liga
    La Liga
    The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

     position
    : Twentieth (1990–91)

  • Greatest home win: Betis 7–0 Zaragoza
    Real Zaragoza
    Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

     (1958–59)
  • Greatest away win: Cádiz
    Cádiz CF
    Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1910, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home games at Estadio Ramón de Carranza, with a 22,000-seat capacity.Salvadoran legend Mágico González, who...

     0–5 Betis (1977–78)

  • Greatest home defeat: Betis 0–5 Real Madrid
    Real Madrid C.F.
    Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

     (1960–61), Betis 0–5 Osasuna
    CA Osasuna
    Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...

     (2006–07)
  • Greatest away defeat: Athletic Bilbao
    Athletic Bilbao
    Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...

     9–1 Betis (1932–33)

  • Greatest recovery for: Betis - Barcelona
    FC Barcelona
    Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

    : 0–2 to 3–2 (2007–08)
  • Greatest recovery against: Betis - Espanyol
    RCD Espanyol
    Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...

    : 2–0 to 2–5 (1999–00)

Player records

  • Most appearances:   Julio Cardeñosa
    Julio Cardeñosa
    Julio Cardeñosa Rodríguez is a former Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.During his extensive career, he played almost exclusively for Real Betis, retiring well past his 30's....

     - 306

  • Top goalscorer (La Liga):   Hipólito Rincón
    Hipólito Rincón
    Hipólito 'Poli' Rincón Povedano is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.During a 12-year professional career, he played mainly for and Real Madrid and Real Betis, amassing La Liga totals of 239 games and 81 goals.Having gained slightly more than 20 caps for Spain, Rincón appeared...

     - 78
  • Top goalscorer (overall): Manuel Domínguez - 94
  • Top goalscorer (European competitions):   Alfonso
    Alfonso Pérez
    Alfonso Pérez Muñoz , simply Alfonso, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.Having represented both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona during his career, Alfonso possessed above-average heading ability despite not reaching 180 cms; he appeared in 307 La Liga games for three teams ,...

     - 8

  • Most red cards
    Ejection (sports)
    In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....

    :   Jaime Quesada - 7

  • First to play for Spain
    Spain national football team
    The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

    :   Simón Lecue
    Simón Lecue
    Simón Lecue Andrade was a Spanish footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.-Club career:Born in Arrigorriaga, Biscay, Lecue played his first two La Liga seasons with Deportivo Alavés, also in the Basque Country...

     - 1934
  • Most capped for Spain:   Rafael Gordillo
    Rafael Gordillo
    Rafael Gordillo Vázquez is a retired Spanish footballer.A tremendously offensive left wingback, equally at ease as defender and midfielder and with a good effort rate, he had an unmistakable style of playing with his socks down, he represented with individual and team success Betis and Real...

     - 75
  • Spanish internationals: 26

Stadium

With a 56,500 -seat capacity, Estadio Benito Villamarín is the home ground of Real Betis. It was named Estadio Manuel Ruiz de Lopera during the 2000's after the club's owner, who decided to built a new stadium over the old one.

Despite much planning, the stadium's renovation plans were constantly postponed, and half of it remained unchanged. On 27 October 2010, it returned to its first denomination after a decision by the club's associates.

Colours

The current Betis home strip consists of a shirt with 13 vertical stripes of green and white, the centennial logo on the left side, white shorts and green socks with a white horizontal stripe at the top.

Evolution

In its initial years, Sevilla Balompié dressed in blue shirts with white shorts, which represented the infantry at the time. From late 1911 the team had adopted the shirts of Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

, at that time vertical stripes of green and white, that were brought over from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 at the request of Manuel Asensio Ramos, who had studied in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

as a child.

When the team became Real Betis Balompié in 1914, various kits were used, including: yellow and black stripes; green t-shirts and a reversion to the blue top and white shorts uniform. By the end of the 1920s Betis was once again sporting green and white stripes, around this time the Assembly of Ronda (1918) saw the Andalusian region formally adopt these colours, not being known how much the two are linked.

Since then this remained Betis shirt, despite several versions (including wider stripes).

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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