MADRID, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Sevilla has been sanctioned with a partial ground closure and a fine of 45,000 euros for the incidents which led to Sunday's derby at home to local rivals, Betis being stopped for around 15 minutes and the players being taken to the dressing room.
The matchday referee Munuera Montero temporarily suspended the match in the 87th minute with Betis leading 2-0, after an earlier appeal to Sevilla supporters to stop throwing objects such as cigarette lighters and plastic bottles onto the pitch was ignored.
Although the players were able to finish the match after a short stoppage, the Spanish Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee has punished Sevilla for "very serious" breaches of its disciplinary code and has imposed a partial ground closure of the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium for three games.
The club has said it will appeal the punishment and could look to a precedent set last year when Atletico Madrid was given a similar punishment which was later reduced to a one-game partial closure. ■