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WORKING-CLASS FOUNDATIONS
Betis’ working-class association dates to 1909 when three Sevilla directors refused to sanction the signing of a player from Triana, a blue-collar neighbourhood of the city known both for its left-wing outlook and as the birthplace of flamenco.
Two furious dissident directors upped sticks and formed their own club, Betis, named after the Roman word for the city’s Guadalquivir river, Baetica. In 1914, Betis merged with Sevilla Balompie (formed seven years earlier) to form Real Betis Balompie.
A UNIQUE LINK WITH UNITED
The club won their first (and only) La Liga in 1935 under the guidance of Irish coach Patrick O’Connell, a former Manchester United captain and future Barcelona manager.
Yet, typical of Betis’s luck, the Spanish Civil War soon raged. Many players fled to exile or died fighting for the Republican cause against General Franco’s fascist forces. Relegated to the third tier by 1946, Betis retained their spirit, if not their best players. Local lad Luis del Sol joined Real Madrid in 1959 after helping Betis restore their top-flight status and won the following year’s European Cup with Los Blancos.
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