FanHouse LaLiga

What is it about the genetic makeup of Real Betis supporters that makes them so accurate when throwing water bottles at someone? If they played handball instead of football in Seville, half that city could score goals like Fernando Torres.

About a year after Juande Ramos was knocked out by a full plastic projectile, Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Armando took some New World Water(tm) to the grill last weekend and required stitches. The common thread? Both bottles were thrown by Real Betis supporters at Manuel Ruiz de Lopera Stadium, their club's home pitch, after their opponents took the lead. Most fans just boo and whistle, but clearly, los béticos want to be a bit more emphatic in their disapproval.

Real Betis was given a two-match stadium ban, though I suspect this won't stop other tossers in the future.

(H/T: The Offside)

If last Sunday's Premier League Grand Slam wasn't enough to whet your appetite for club soccer at its highest hype level, two other dominant European -- La Liga in Spain and Serie A in Italy -- are serving up huge superclub matches that will air on Sunday morning in America.

First up in Italy, Serie A champs Inter Milan will take on European champs AC Milan in the famed Milan derby. (9:00 AM ET, Fox Soccer Channel.) Inter currently sits comfortably atop the league table once again. On the other hand, AC Milan's form in its own league has been dire. They're stuck in 11th place with only 18 points and zero wins at home. They're also listed as the away team here, despite playing at the San Siro, the stadium they share with Inter. Will that psychological edge get them over the hump?

Then it's El Clasico in Spain, as La Liga leaders Real Madrid head to Camp Nou to face 2nd-place Barcelona. (1:00 PM ET, GOLTV) Barca is four points behind Real on the league table, but they're unbeaten at home. However, they will be without Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who's out with a thigh injury. Ronaldinho might sit as well after getting an earful from manager Frank Rikjaard yesterday. It may fall to Samuel Eto'o to score goals against Real, who have had much less drama but much better results away from home. Can Real steal a win and take a commanding seven-point lead in Spain?

Remember when we thought that Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry would be BFF at B.F.C.? They even took those dance lessons together and everything. What could have gone wrong?

As it turns out, it's not the relationship between Ronaldinho and Henry that's hurting, but instead the relationship between the superstar footballer and his club. Ronaldinho and his agent brother are suggesting that Barcelona is organizing a smear campaign against the 27-year-old Brazilian, leaking to the press that he went out partying 48 hours before a match -- which might explain his poor form early in the season, not to mention Camp Nou supporters booing him after he was substituted out of matches.

Clearly, Ronaldinho and Barca manager Frank Rijkaard aren't getting along, and Rijkaard has options upfront. Henry and Lionel Messi (Ladies...) started in Barca's 2-1 win over Sevilla on Saturday, and Samuel Eto'o could be back from a knee injury as early as next month. Barca is winning with Henry and Messi up front. They're not winning with Ronaldinho, and the club lost the La Liga crown to Real Madrid last season in part because too many games that should have been wins ended in draws.

The more successful Henry and Messi are, the more everyone at Camp Nou will wonder if they still need Ronaldinho and all his fake girlfriends to be successful. Clearly, a scapegoating may in progress, and it may end with Ronnie demanding that move to Chelsea, where Roman Abramovich is far more smitten with him than Henry is.