Juve, Europa League, how it plays, players, coach Sevilla

Ok, the Europa League could easily be renamed the Sevilla League, but this time not even the most loyal aficionados of Sanchez Pizjuan were hoping for it. When the draw paired Sevilla to United on 17 March, no one could have thought that the Andalusians were capable of taking out the English battleship.

Very different moments

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The team was still in the hands of Sampaoli, they had just lost to Fenerbahce, passing through with great suffering, and in La Liga they had won the salvation clash with Almeria, moving to +2 on the relegation zone, which they had occupied for a long time. On the other hand, Ten Hag’s team had just won in Seville with Betis and although shaken by the 7-0 win at Anfield they had an extraordinary tendency to win and were firmly glued to third place in the Premier League.

Twenty million

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Two days after the draw, Sevilla lost another salvation clash, with Getafe, and the management led by Monchi decided to change coach again: via Sampaoli, who had replaced Lopetegui in early October, into Jose Luis Mendilibar, Basque coach with down to earth, low profile and a high conception of the sense of work. In his past Eibar, Valladolid, Levante, Alaves… And not even a game in Europe. Sevilla has spent 20 million euros this year on severances and salaries for the coaches alone.

In overalls

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Mendilibar made his debut by winning the delicate and warm derby 2-0 (another match in the relegation zone) in Cadiz, drew 2-2 with Celta and then repeated the result at Old Trafford in an absurd game: United ahead 2-0 and in absolute control of a Seville at the mercy of its own insecurity. But Mendilibar is the perfect coach, he didn’t get upset, he conveyed calm to his team and thanked him when the English committed suicide with the own goals from Malacia and the terrible Maguire, who again played a negative role last night at Sanchez Pizjuan. Then Sevilla went on to win 2-0 at Mestalla, putting Valencia in trouble and getting wind: today they are in thirteenth place in La Liga.

The incredible fact

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And in the semifinals of the Europa League. And here we need to make a statistical break: Sevilla in the second European competition reached the quarter-finals 7 times, and lifted the trophy on the first 6 occasions. Juventus is warned.

From the Champions League to the abyss

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Now let’s go back to this crazy season. Under Lopetegui a year ago Sevilla finished fourth in La Liga, -1 from Atletico Madrid and -3 from Barcelona. The problem is that in the summer they sold the two super centre-backs, Kounde and Diego Carlos, and Monchi didn’t replace them properly. The job of going to discover unknown talents is very complex, and for some time now things have been going decidedly wrong for the director who moved from Rome. Sevilla started in the Champions League and on 7 October after a draw with Athletic Bilbao found themselves in the relegation zone, with 6 points in 8 days.

The first change

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It was Sampaoli’s debut game, with Lopetegui fired after the 4-1 home win against Borussia Dortmund. The Argentine managed to save his European destiny by snatching third place which earned him the playout with PSV: 3-0 at home, but defeated 2-0 away because this team is always on the verge of a nervous breakdown. And in the league, as mentioned, the flirtation with relegation lasted a long time.

Players found

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With Mendilibar things seem to have settled down. The one against United was undoubtedly the best performance of the season. And many players seem to have found each other: En-Nesyri had scored two goals before the World Cup, yesterday he reached 16. The former Roma player Lamela has never been so incisive. Rakitic seemed poised for retirement and was suddenly reminded of how to get the team rolling. Ocampos had gone to Ajax earlier this year, where he didn’t touch the ball. An absurd transfer given that the Argentine did very well in Seville: he returned home and was reborn. In January Monchi finally nailed the purchase of a centre-back, the French Badé. Fernando’s return after a long stop gave confidence in the middle, even if the Brazilian got hurt again last night and went out in tears. Gudelj, a guy considered rough and ungainly, yesterday at a certain point allowed himself a cross from rabona. This is to say that Mendilibar has truly revitalized a team which, suffering from the always exposed nerves of Lopetegui and Sampaoli, played full of fear and which has now started having fun again.

Family feud

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Corporate issues deserve a final chapter. Because if the situation was agitated on the pitch, it continues to be unsustainable outside. Former president Jose Maria del Nido has taken the current leadership, led by Pepe Castro, to court, accusing him of having in practice stolen his shares thanks to his son, Adrian Del Nido. We let you imagine the state of relations between the two family members. The court has currently stopped the action of Del Nido senior, blocking his coup d’état, but the legal battle is still very open. In all this chaos, between the nightmare of the Segunda and the family feud, Sevilla found themselves in their talismanic competition, the Europa League.