¡Hola a todos! I never got around to finishing my blog about Spain so I will give you a brief run-down of my final week there. Since it has been a year since I studied abroad, I really just remember one major moment from the final week that is worth writing about. So, during this week, there was a really important fútbol game between Real Betis and Sevilla FC (the 2 soccer clubs based in Sevilla). Basically, half of the city supports Betis whereas the other half supports Sevilla. As Gonzalo would say, "the good people of Sevilla support Betis" whereas the tourists and the "bad people" of Spain support Sevilla FC. So, of course I decided to support Betis, trying to fit in with the likes of my Spanish friends and trying not to be a typical tourist. This is where it gets interesting. Unfortunately for me, the game was at the Sevilla stadium rather than the Betis stadium (which I did not know at the time makes all the difference for the fans). So of course I walk to the stadium, thinking I'm super cool in my Betis jersey that I bought for like $5 from a sketchy street vendor in Morocco, when someone starts pointing and yelling at me. I think to myself, "well, that is to be expected, people are very serious about their soccer here"- kinda similar to how the students in Madison are diehard Badger supporters. I kept walking but then people started looking to see who the guy was yelling at and as more and more people saw the green striped jersey (me) in a pool of red (everyone else), there was about 200 angry Sevilla fans yelling at me. This was scary to say the least. Immediately, a police officer approached me and asked me where I was from (because obviously Sevillanos are not stupid enough to wear a Betis jersey to the Sevilla stadium) and told me that I had to either take off the jersey or leave. Apparently people who support Betis have to enter in a different entrance so that they won't start problems. So glad I knew that before I left.... not! Luckily, I was wearing another shirt underneath, so I was able to stay at the tailgate. I also decided to buy a Sevilla scarf as well to fit in more, but I felt like such a traitor! And that's the story about how I almost started a riot!
Here is a picture of me and my friends wearing our Sevilla scarves at the beginning of the game...
I was secretly cheering for Betis, but wearing a Sevilla scarf. About 20 minutes into the game, I put my Betis jersey back on because the people sitting behind us were Betis supporters, so I felt like it was finally safe to do so. My friends were not thrilled about that...
I actually ended up being really happy that I had my Betis jersey with me because in the end they won by one point with like 10 seconds left in the game. It was crazy!! Here is a picture of how excited I was...
It was such a hilarious way to end the semester. It goes to show that I still have a lot to learn about Spanish culture and norms. That just gives me another reason to go back! :)
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