27th of May, 2015. Martin Atkinson blows his whistle to confirm the end of another match.
But this isn’t just any game, the game was between Sevilla FC and the Ukrainian side, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. The two had battled it out in a close and entertaining Europa League final. The Colombian hitman, Carlos Bacca spearheaded his Sevilla side to a win in the Polish capital, Warsaw; scoring 2 of the goals in a 3-2 win. This was the fourth time Sevilla had conquered the Europa League. As a result of their triumphs, Sevilla will take their place in the prestigious UEFA Champions League for the 2015/16 season, and Los Rojiblancos will be the 5th Spanish team to compete in the tournament alongside with FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Valencia CF.
Sevilla: From Selling Side to Champions League Football
Hopefully for Sevilla fans, those who have been waiting for their side to take the next step up to Europe’s elite; this will not be a one-off attempt for glory in Europe’s most celebrated competition. There’s no doubt Sevilla will be happy to be playing in the Champions League, as they can now truly showcase their talent to the world, but Sevilla have a terriblel what can only be described as a habit or tradition; In Spain, Sevilla have given themselves an unwelcome reputation as a ‘Selling Club’. Over the years, many talented players have graced the pitch of Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sevilla’s home ground in Andalucía in the South of Spain. Unfortunately, Sevilla always seem to sell their best players, valuing profit over longevity.
A positive can be taken from their financial aptitude, as they do not sell them cheaply. Sergio Ramos was sold to Real Madrid in 2005 for €27 million when he was only 19 years old, Dani Alves left the club to Barça for €35 Million, Álvero Negredo jetted off to Manchester City during the summer of 2013 for €25 million, Jesús Navas and Júlio Baptista were both sold for €20 Million and Alberto Moreno, Aleix Vidal and Ivan Rakatić were all sold for €18 million. This is just a snippet of the amount of players Los Nervionenses have sold in the past decade. If Sevilla managed to keep hold of their best players, they would have had a team capable of pushing for a league title or at least a regular Champions League spot.
What could have lured these past players away was the promise of Champions League football; which they would not receive would they have remained with Sevilla. Carlos Bacca stated that if he was to leave Sevilla, “it would not be for money” but for a “chance to play in the Champions League.” He, and all of his team mates now have that opportunity.
Sevilla’s sporting director, Monchi, states that even if a rival team were to “meet his release clause”, which stands at €30 million, they would not be interested in selling their best player in Carlos Bacca. However, last week Bacca’s agent revealed that he could move to Roma in the Serie A, for “religious reasons.”
What Sevilla have on their hands is a world class finisher, and the logical thing to do with this would be to build a team around him. Sevilla have been looking at the long time Liverpool and Tottenham target Yevhen Konoplyanka from Dnipro, while the hardworking bulldozer Steven N’Zonzi from Stoke City is also a target for the Sevilla boss, Unai Emery. A return could be on the cards, as Barcelona’s Brazilian left-back, Adriano could make his way back to Andalucía.
With a few more top quality faces in their starting 11, Sevilla could be a real force to be reckoned with. Things look to be facing forward and Sevilla have a bright future ahead of themselves, should they keep a hold of their top stars and maintain their new-found status as a Champions League Club.
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