A few hours before the start of the La Liga match between Levante and Sevilla at the Ciutat de València, the area surrounding the stadium was the scene of a violent brawl between groups of ultras from the two teams. According to witnesses, the Sevilla fans had gathered near the Valencian stadium waiting for their rivals, while the Levante group had arrived with their faces covered and dressed in black. The altercation quickly degenerated, with the use of sticks, chairs, pyrotechnic material, smoke bombs and flares. An observer told the newspaper Marca that "there were very serious attacks. There were five minutes of great tension, with chairs and sticks flying and people hitting each other with punches, kicks and wooden blows."
The confrontation took place while some Levante players went to the stadium for the pre-match meeting. Several footballers, driven by their cars, passed near the area of the collision, prompting the intervention of the police. Although the police intervened, the groups involved had already dispersed before they could be stopped.
The match, scheduled for 9pm on the eighth day of La Liga, was accompanied by a strengthening of security measures in the hours before and after the match. Authorities said they had put in place a more robust safety device to avoid further accidents. The situation remains under control as the teams prepare to compete on the pitch.