Sevilla midfielder Joan Jordán was doing well at home but
will not play when the match between his club and Real Betis restarts from the
39th minute with the score tied at 1-1 at the Benito VillamarÃn Stadium.
Jordán had been taken to a hospital after being hit by a
piece of PVC hurled from the stands while Betis was celebrating Nabil Fekir’s
equalizer before halftime in the round-of-16 match between the fierce Seville
rivals.
Jordán underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with a
head trauma. He will remain under observation for at least 24 hours, the Spanish
soccer federation said Sunday.
The federation said it wanted to avoid major logistical
challenges by keeping the match at the VillamarÃn stadium, but no fans will be
allowed “to guarantee the match ends without new incidents, considering the
seriousness of what happened.”
Sevilla tried to postpone the match until a later date so it
could count on Jordán, but the federation’s competitions committee denied its
request.
The match will restart 4 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), just
hours before the Spanish Super Cup final between Real Madrid and Athletic
Bilbao takes place in Saudi Arabia. Only one other Copa del Rey match was
scheduled for Sunday, with Valencia visiting Atlético Baleares.
Spanish media said the person who threw the object from the
stands was taken into custody by police.
“Sevilla condemns the violent act suffered by Joan Jordán,
an unacceptable act in the world of sport committed by an individual who, of
course, does not represent the fans of Real Betis or the way of living football
in our city,” Sevilla said in a statement early Sunday. “Likewise, the club
demands the utmost respect for Joan Jordán, a true professional and an
exemplary person who has suffered an appalling attack.”
Betis players condemned the incident but some accused
Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui of trying to urge Jordán to go down after being
hit.
“Shameful and unjustifiable act by someone who does not
represent our fans,” Betis substitute VÃctor Camarasa said on Twitter. “I hope
that Joan Jordán is OK, but we all heard (even the assistant referee) his coach
tell him to ‘be dizzy and drop to the ground.’”
The Seville derby is notorious for being Spain’s most
fiercely contested crosstown rivalry. In 2007, Sevilla coach Juande Ramos was
knocked unconscious when he was hit in the head by a bottle thrown by a Betis
fan.
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