The world of football says goodbye to Manuel Ruiz de Lopera: “He marked an era” | Soccer | Sports

A big day in Seville such as Palm Sunday has been marked in its sporting aspect by the death of Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, president of Betis between 1992 and 2010. An iconic leader of Spanish football for many years. The reactions of football itself were immediate since Lopera’s death occurred. A large number of players, presidents and politicians such as the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, have shown their condolences for the death of the peculiar Betic leader. Betis, of course, the first of them all. “Real Betis Balompié expresses its deepest regret for the death of Manuel Ruiz de Lopera y Ávalos, the club’s largest shareholder and President during the period 1992-2010, which occurred in Seville on Saturday, March 23, at the age of 79,” He heads an extensive news item on the Andalusian team’s website, where an extensive history of his journey as a club leader is exposed. A respectful gesture from the current Betis leaders, President Ángel Haro and Vice President José Miguel López Catalán, with whom Lopera had major differences and continuous legal disputes.

Some of these demonstrations have attracted attention. Like for example that of José María del Nido Benavente, current largest shareholder of a Sevilla whose son is now presiding. “My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Don Manuel Ruiz de Lopera. Rest in peace,” said Del Nido on the social network X. The sports war between both leaders came to have surreal overtones. In 2007, in a Cup derby between Betis and Sevilla, Lopera insisted that Del Nido could not go to the Betis stadium. Del Nido persisted in his idea and Lopera had the idea of ​​placing a bust of him right next to him while he was left without attending the crash. In that match, Del Nido and the then Sevilla coach, Juande Ramos, were attacked in the Betic stadium in the middle of a very aggressive atmosphere.

The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, also showed his condolences. “A hug to Beticism and the family of Manuel Ruiz de Lopera. He marked an era in the history of Real Betis. His passion for the team and his imprint and personality remain in the memory of the fans,” highlighted the top Andalusian leader. Lopera, in its period of maximum splendor at the end of the last decade of the last century, came to challenge the then president of the Junta de Andalucía, Manuel Chaves, since he considered that the regional television, Canal Sur, was detrimental to the interests of Betis. .

LaLiga, the Spanish Federation, Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Sevilla, Cádiz, Valencia, Córdoba, Getafe, Málaga, Espanyol, Rayo, Alavés and Real Sociedad, among others, have also shown their condolences, as well as Betis footballers who stood out in the Andalusian club during Lopera’s long reign (1992-2010). This was the case of Denilson, who in 1997 became the most expensive signing in the history of football. Lopera paid 5,000 million pesetas for the Brazilian to Sao Paulo. “May my president rest in peace. I will never forget what you did for me. In the most difficult moment of my life you were with me, you gave me support and I will never forget it. My feelings to yours and I will never forget you. Don Manuel Ruiz de Lopera,” wrote the world champion with Brazil in the 2002 World Cup and a Betic player between 1998 and 2005.

“I am very sorry for the passing of our president for many years. My deepest condolences to his family and to all of Beticismo, I will always remember him for the good things he did for Real Betis,” stated, for his part, Alfonso Pérez Muñoz, one of Lopera’s most striking signings. . He played for Betis in two stages, between 1995 and 2000 and from 2002 to 2005.

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