Jordan, on the ground after the attack. /
Round of 16
The aggression occurred after Fekir signed the provisional draw with an Olympic goal in the final stretch of the first half
Unfortunate, despicable, terrible image of Spanish football in Europe and blow to the Copa del Rey. The star game of the round of 16 between Betis and Sevilla was suspended last night as a result of the impact of an object thrown from the stands at the head of visiting midfielder Joan Jordán when the result was a draw (1-1). The player was left lying on the ground and was taken to the hospital for additional check-ups. According to a statement issued this morning by Sevilla, he is already at his home, where he must remain at least 24 hours, after being diagnosed with a head injury. As for the aggressor, different sources pointed out that he has been located, and even that he is already detained.
After the report issued by the Basque referee De Burgos Bengoetxea, the federative delegate and those responsible for security, it will be the Competition Committee that decides as a matter of urgency if the match resumes behind closed doors from minute 39 – as it has the referee in the minutes, with four added and serve for Sevilla–, if it is played on a neutral field or, most unlikely, the tie is lost to Betis. Due to the compressed calendar, the match should be played today. If this is not the case, quite a few games would have to be retouched, since the quarter-final draw is set for next Friday morning, Sevilla will face Valencia on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. in a league match, Betis will do so on Tuesday against the Alavés and the regulation establishes that they must spend at least 48 hours of rest for the footballers.
The incident occurred just after Nabil Fekir scored the provisional equalizer (1-1) with a superb Olympic goal. Just after his left-footed shot poisoned the young man from Cordoba, Alfonso Pastor, a debutant in the Seville team’s goal, from one of the Benito Villamarín funds they threw a kind of plastic bar that hit Jordán in the head. According to the referee in the minutes, it was a hollow stick about 50 centimeters long and made of PVC.
Accusations against Lopetegui
From then on, a great stir arose, with constant protests from the Sevilla fans to the referee led by their coach, Julen Lopetegui, whom several players from the local team, including Víctor Camarasa, accused of having incited Jordán to pretend he was dizzy and drop to the ground. “We have all heard it,” said the Betis midfielder. In this sense, Sevilla demanded hours after the altercation “the greatest respect” for Jordán, “an upright professional and an exemplary person who has suffered an infamous attack.” After the attack, and while the player was being treated on the sidelines, the referee decided that the teams should go to the locker room. Approximately half an hour later, the match was called off and the Betis players came out onto the pitch to say goodbye to their fans.
Until the attack on Jordán, it had been an exciting duel, with Betis very dominant, although it was Sevilla who managed to score on their first approach. Óliver Torres fought for a ball, stole the defender’s bag and his backward assist turned Papu Gómez into a pass into the net. Pellegrini’s team reacted wonderfully, matching their best player and the unfortunate action took place, which is not the first in the great Andalusian derby or in the Helipolitan feud.
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