Manuel Ruiz de Lopera Still Hoping For Someone To Buy Up Real Betis

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The future continues to look gloomy for relegated Real Betis after their main shareholder and owner, Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, revealed that no one has approached him with any offers to take over the club.

The 64-year-old businessman was commanded to put the 54 per cent of his shares up for sale following the team’s demotion to the Segunda Division at the end of last season, and just two weeks ago a spokesperson for the club announced that Lopera was indeed ready to sell off his stake. But, so far, there has been no development.

“It seemed that a lot of offers would arrive, but at the moment, I have not received any,” Lopera told the fans and the press during the club’s jersey presentation for the 2009-10 campaign.

“I want to please all the Betis fans, and because of that, I have been quietly sitting at home waiting for offers. And I continue hoping for one. Everyone said that after 15 days, the Beticos will turn up with money, but I have not seen anything.”

Despite all the controversy surrounding Lopera down the years, he assured that he is proud of the way he has managed the club over the past decade and a half.

“I do not see Sevilla fans asking their main shareholder to give the club to them. At almost every club there is a majority shareholder, and over here I have not sold any part of the company for the last 17 years,” he explained.

“I have received offers before, and when another one arrives that is worthy of the 17 years of work I have put in to Betis, I will take it to please the group of fans who are no longer happy with my management.

“But the [offers from] businessmen do not arrive so here I am still.”

Finally, Lopera assured that while he is still in charge, he will continue building a solid team to get the team back up to the Primera Division.

He said, “We are assembling a good side for the Segunda to try and win promotion this coming season.

“It is too soon to say which players will stay and which will go, but I am working to have the best squad available to return to La Liga.”

KS Leong, Goal.com