Sevilla have been one of the premier clubs in Europe over the past decade, and yet they are looking at a relegation battle this season in LaLiga. So, how did a team which finished 4th last season end up in such a predicament?
A brief history of Sevilla
Sevilla are historically not super successful, at least not compared to other clubs who have won major European competitions. Their only LaLiga title was in 1946, yet they have six Europa League titles in the modern era.
The Nervionenses spent the majority of their history until the 2000’s flirting with relegation at best and financial catastrophe at worst. A revolving door of club presidents and a disastrous affair with Diego Maradona in the 1990s did nothing to help the situation. Things had to change.
The 2000/01 season saw Sevilla in the Segunda Division, an unfortunate but not unfamiliar circumstance for the Andalusians. Something that was new was their Director of Football, Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, better known as Monchi.
Monchi helped turn Sevilla from relegation fodder to European champions, by making the most of youth talent and scouting. The club was also renowned for being realistic with transfers, buying low and selling high, knowing they weren’t the biggest dog in the yard – and using it to their advantage.
A generation of football fans see Sevilla as not just a top-division club, but one of the best in Europe. This makes their current position in the relegation zone of LaLiga so jarring to see, but it is understandable when you look closer at how the club has gone about preparing for this season.
The summer of 2022
Sevilla are no strangers to being picked apart by richer clubs, like I said they made it their method of success in a way, and keeping with tradition the summer just gone saw the shop doors flung open.
Centre backs Jules Koundé and Diego Carlos departed for €50 Million and €31 Million euros respectively. Sevilla replaced them with Tanguy Nianzou and Marcão.
Marcão cost €12 million from Galatasaray, a reasonable deal for someone of his quality. Nianzou cost €16 Million, which could turn out to be one of the best deals to look back on in a few years, but not right now.
Sevilla knew that Koundé at the very least was going to leave the club, however, it certainly looks like they had no contingency plan for replacing one-for-one of the best defenders in world football, let alone having to build a new backline.
Nianzou, as good as he may become, has shown that he isn’t ready to be a starting centre back in this team. He has partnered up most often with Karim Rekik, and both of them have looked shaky at best.
Sevilla are effectively relying on throwing a 20-year-old with not that much experience in at the deep end, hoping he’ll not only float but drag them to the surface. Sevilla were given a war chest to spend, albeit it at the end of the window, but their best couple of options from their scouts was a young prospect and a Turkish Super Lig stalwart.
Issues in attack
Sevilla’s midfield isn’t actually that bad, and Nemanja Gudelj’s ability to send the ball into the net like a medieval ballista from 400 yards out is really enjoyable. But it is worrying that he is the joint third-highest goalscorer in the team.
Rafa Mir has two LaLiga goals from nine games, which is the best any striker has done for the team so far. Simply put, Sevilla need to reinforce in January. Fortunately, they have the cash to do just that.
The Bono problem
Sevilla’s keeper was relatively unknown outside of LaLiga circles until this World Cup. Yassine Bounou, or Bono, was a star in Morocco’s fairytale run to the semi-final in Qatar. He was already one of the better goalkeepers in LaLiga, however he now has the world looking at him.
Bayern Munich are one of the teams rumoured to be making a January bid for the shot-stopper. Their own number one, Manuel Neuer, was involved in a skiing accident and will now be out for the rest of the season.
Sources differ on what Sevilla value Bono at. Transfermarkt values him at €15 Million, Sevilla will probably be looking for between 20 or 30 Million Euros. If Sevilla were to lose their main man in net, it would only exacerbate their defensive problems.
So, how does 2023 look for Los Nervionenses?
Quite worryingly the next five games could define Sevilla’s season. Celta Vigo, Getafe, Girona, Cádiz and Elche. Those are winnable games and if they don’t maximise points it could be their demise.
This transfer window has to be one of incoming players, damn the inflated mid season cost, Sevilla cannot risk playing it safe fiscally. They need a goalscorer and a defender, at a minimum.
2023 is going to be a bad year for Sevilla, and could be catastrophic. At the time of writing they have won no games at home, with their wins away coming at Espanyol and Mallorca.
Jorge Sampaoli has not had the new manager bounce that Sevilla really needed, and now the pressure is really on. His first game back against Celta has to be a win, but for all of Celta’s faults, their squad will be less fatigued, due to having no players at the World Cup, and Iago Aspas in their ranks.
Sevilla will be hoping that memories of the Segunda will stay just that, memories, as the most successful team in Europa League history falling out of the top tier is a nightmarish reality.
