Sergio Ramos loves Betis: maybe they should get married

By: Isaiah | May 10th, 2007

According the Madrid-based newspaper/rag Marca, Sergio Ramos is pulling, “just a little,” for Real Betis this weekend when the verdiblancos visit the Camp Nou. Normally that wouldn’t be news at all as Ramos’ Real Madrid are trying to overcome Barcelona’s 2 point advantage during the last 5 weeks of the domestic league season, but it’s an interesting case of Spain’s internal politics. Sergio Ramos comes from the Sevilla region of Spain, after all, and grew up in the Sevilla FC system (he’s pictured above in Sevilla colors, which will no doubt be offensive to any merengues out there). The Sevilla-Real Betis feud is one of the best - and in many ways worst - examples of neighborhood rivalries (I place it right up there with Roma-Lazio). Juande Ramos can personally attest to the fact that Betis fans don’t like anyone from Sevilla.

Needless to say, there can’t have been much love for Betis flowing out of Sergio Ramos up until this moment and even now it’s rather abated. So the fact that he’s willing to step up and say is, in my opinion, actual news in a land where regional and local allegiances seem that much more important than basically anywhere else. If you doubt me, feel free to look at the difference between transfers in England and Spain. When Figo left Barcelona, he became enemy-of-the-state, a man whose “treachery” meant his eventual return to the Camp Nou was greeted with an aereal bombardment that included the a pig’s head. Can’t beat that for a welcome back gift.

Sergio Ramos will no doubt be rooting “just a little” more for Betis if Madrid finds a way to lose or draw against Espanyol. That, of course, is the other side of the coin, the karmic return, in a way, for all of this. Naturally Barcelona’s players and fans will be, if secretly, rooting for their city rivals Espanyol to provide a welcome boost to their title chances. next week when Barcelona visit the Vicente Calderon. However you break it down, it’s an interesting thought: An Aston Villa fan rooting for Birmingham, a Roma fan rooting for Lazio, Lyon fans cheering on PSG. Crazier things have happened, I suppose.