Benito Villamarín

The president who secured Betis' stadium and led them back to the top.

Benito Villamarín Prieto (1917 – 15 August 1966) was a Spanish industrialist and sports leader who is widely regarded as the most important president in the history of Real Betis, which he presided for a decade, from 1955 until 1965. Under his leadership, the club thrived both on and off the field, returning to the first division in 1958, which marked the end of a 15-year absence, and obtaining the ownership of the Heliopolitan stadium, which now bears his name.

Quick Facts

Nickname: Heliópolis
Full name: Estadio Benito Villamarín
Location: Avenida de Heliópolis, s/n; 41012 Seville
Opened: 1929
Expanded: 1982, 2000, 2017
Owner: Real Betis
Capacity: 60,721
Record attendance: 59,916 (Real Betis v Sociedad; 19 May 2024)

Lore & Background

Born in 1917 in Toén, Ourense, Villamarín arrived in Seville after the Spanish Civil War, as a preliminary step to his planned departure to Argentina, but he ended up settling in the city after falling in love with a young woman from Seville named Ángeles Guillén. He began working in the export of olives from Seville, being one of the precursors of the export of this product to the United States. In 1958, Villamarín and his wife paid for the basket of the Nuestro Padre Jesús Cautivo, and in the following year, he was named Honorary Lieutenant of the 'Brotherhood of Santa Genoveva'. He became president of Real Betis on 28 May, replacing Manuel Ruiz Rodríguez. His first action was attempting to secure the signings of Telmo Zarra and César Rodríguez. Under his presidency, Betis achieved promotion in 1958, a historic third place in the 1963–64 La Liga, and first participation in European competitions. He resigned on 7 December 1965 due to health reasons. He died in Seville on 15 August 1966 at age 49.

Did You Know?

The stadium was renamed Benito Villamarín after the club purchased it in 1961.
He underwent surgery for a lung tumor in Boston and later received treatment in Houston for incurable cancer.