Friendly matches are sometimes referred to as exhibition matches. However, that was not the case in the match between Real Betis and Como in Cadiz on Wednesday evening.
The sporting aspect—the visitors from Italy won 3-2 thanks to a late goal from Ivan Azon—took a back seat in Wednesday’s clash between Real Betis Sevilla and Como 1907.
Instead, it was a scandal that made the headlines in this “friendly.”
Chucho Hernandez hits his own teammate in the face
In stoppage time of the first half, with the score at 2-0 to the visitors from Lake Como, two players suddenly clashed, throwing punches and sparking a huge brawl.
Several players joined in the brawl, and substitutes, coaches, and support staff stormed onto the field to break up the fight and restore order.
According to Spanish media reports, two hard tackles by the Italian first division team coached by Cesc Fabregas were the cause of the heated tempers. The situation escalated when Sevilla’s Pablo Fornals slapped his opponent Maximo Perrone after a shoving match, and Perrone immediately retaliated with a punch. The two professionals were then shown straight red cards (45+2).
A video that went viral on social media also showed that more and more players then started attacking each other. Cucho Hernandez from the Spanish Europa League participant, for example, tried to hit another Como player but ended up hitting his own teammate Natan in the face. German center back Marc Oliver Kempf was also in the thick of the action, with the Serie A veteran and former Stuttgart and Hertha player also getting involved in the melee.
