The origin of the colors of Sevilla FC and Real Betis

The rivalry between the stars of ELGRANDERBI, Sevilla FC and Real Betis, goes far beyond sports. It is built on historic duels, glorious chapters written at the expense of the rival, and clashes across up to four different competitions. But what is the origin of the historic kits worn by both teams?

Why are Sevilla FC's colors red and white?

A white shirt, white shorts, and black socks: this is the Sevilla FC uniform used to write the most brilliant pages of its history. Interestingly, it was the result of pure chance.

From the time the Sevillistas began their founding process in 1890 until it became official in 1905, they dressed in "immaculate" white. The reason was nothing more than pure efficiency: in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, white shirts were simply the easiest to obtain.

However, there was one match that could have changed the history of Sevilla FC's colors. It took place in 1909, during a friendly against Huelva Recreation Club (now Recreativo de Huelva). The directors of Sevilla Football Club intended to "debut" in society wearing a kit similar to Sunderland AFC, and an order was placed to England for those uniforms. By a twist of fate, the shirts did not arrive in time, and Sevilla FC wore white for the event.

The positive reception among fans led to the white shirt, white shorts, and black socks becoming the permanent home kit. Once the kits from England finally arrived, the red-and-white stripes were adapted as the away shirt. This essence has carried through history; until the 1940s, it was common to see the stripes in away matches. Later, an all-red kit became the dominant alternative.

Why are Real Betis's colors green and white?

To understand the Real Betis uniform, one must also travel to Great Britain—though in this case, not to England, but to Scotland. This is where Manuel Ramos Asensio, one of the club's founders and early players, studied. Specifically, he attended St. Joseph's Marist College in Dumfries, a school founded by Andrew Kerins, known as Brother Walfrid. This was the same clergyman who founded Celtic FC in Glasgow in 1887.

In its early years, Sevilla Balompié wore blue shirts and white shorts. This changed in 1910 when Asensio managed to have an order of Celtic shirts brought to Seville (Celtic had worn vertical stripes until 1903). When the club merged with Betis Football (a split from Sevilla Football Club) in 1914, the verdiblanco (green-and-white) colors were officially established.

It wasn't a permanent fixture immediately, however. During World War I, due to trade difficulties with Great Britain, Real Betis played for two years in solid green. Later, they briefly brought back the blue from their early days. In 1919, the green-and-white stripes returned for a tour of the Canary Islands, and the white and green colors of Real Betis have remained immovable ever since.