There's a lot of good reasons to go to Sevilla: it's always summer, it seems to be a festival always and it's a fantastic football city with two giant clubs. Real Betis Balompié plays in the southern borough of Heliópolis, in the gigantic Estadio Benito Villamarín.
If you're not aware of how big Real Betis is, their stadium will tell it. The Estadio Benito Villamarín - named after a former chairman - has since the last renovations place for more than 60.000 people. The stadium already had three tiers, except at the Gol Sur, which had remarkably enough a small stand of just one level. Like they stopped building after three quarters. Nowadays, the Gol Sur has three tiers as well, and if you'd ask us, Estadio Benito Villamarín is one of the true temples of Spain. It doesn't seem to be a real pain to come here every other week.
The derby of Sevilla between Real Betis and Sevilla is one of the most beautiful of Europe, with spectacle guaranteed. Even though Sevilla usually ends above Betis in the last years, Los Beticos seem to be able to give something extra in the derbies. Legendary was the win of Betis in January 2018, when they won with 3-5 in Sevilla's Sánchez-Pizjuán. "Anyone who's home before 5 this morning, will be fined", said Betis-captain and living legend Joaquín after the game.
On the corner of the Avenida de la Palmera, diagonally behind the Gol Norte, you'll find the monument for the 'Beticos Eternos'. It was placed in 2007 for the centenary of the club, and is a monument for the verdiblancos who are no longer with us, or as they say at the club: 'those who went to the fourth tier'.
Hotel Silken Al-Andalus Palace is just around the corner of Benito Villamarín, at the Calle Paraná. It looks a little shabby from the outside, but it's a good hotel where even the players of Real Betis come together before a match. Ask for a room with stadium view at your reservation, over the houses you have a great look on Benito Villamarín.
The Monumento a los Campeones de Liga de 1935, in honour of the league title that year, is almost in the lion's den. Why is this Betis-monument so close to the stadium of Sevilla and so far from it's own stadium? Well, it's simple: in the time of that league title Real Betis still played in this neighbourhood. The monument stands in the middle of Parque Rectora Rosario Valpuesta, behind the NH Hotel.
Like at most Spanish clubs, it can be quite a challenge to get tickets online. They usually become available at the official website close to the match, but there really is no real pattern in it. The good news is that on match days, you mostly can buy tickets easily at the ticket windows of Benito Villamarín, even for the 'Gran Derbi' against Sevilla.
When you follow the Avenida de la Palmera from the city centre, you'll come at the stadium automatically. Bus 1 goes to Heliópolis at stops right at the door of Benito Villamarín. From central station Sevilla Santa Justa you take the train to Sevilla-Virgin del Rocio, a trip from a couple of minutes after which you have to walk approximately ten minutes to the stadium.
Images: Shutterstock, SANTOS
