Never has a club got so deeply into the epidermis of a competition as Seville in the Europa League. Completing the half dozen is what the troop of Julen lopetegui this Friday (9:00 p.m.) at the Rhein Energie in Cologne, where the Nervionense team has already completed the feat of eliminating the Manchester United. Now, in the end, wait for a no less feared Inter de Milan who can possibly complete the title, if he could, with more glamor, by pedigree of rivals, of all those who rest in the showcases of the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
The project of Monchi, which practically took the Seville at the end and he returned to do it again, he can sing bingo with the sixth title after those added in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015 and 2016. With him, Sevilla has become the European club with the most disputed finals of this century, eleven , beating Real Madrid, and has already entered the top 8 in the continent in UEFA coefficient. The Andalusians have earned respect and the terminology of “grande” fits perfectly in their presentation thanks to their excessive ambition and high demands.
And it is a final with many emotional overtones. To begin with the remoteness of hobbies. The Covid-19 crisis forced UEFA to reschedule everything and to make an express format with single-match eliminations and in a single venue, Germany, where Sevilla will not have the warmth of its public as in Eindhoven, Glasgow, Turin, Warsaw or Basel.
It will also be the farewell to Éver Banega, a player who also tried his luck in the ranks of the rival, the Inter, and that he returned to the foot of the Giralda, where – said by him – it has been the place where he has found his best football. He dreamed of such a farewell and has been announcing it for a long time, as well as in January he made his departure public at the end of this season at Al shabab of the Saudi league. No less emotional will be the occasion for Jesus Navas. 14 years ago he put Sevilla in their first European final with a goal pass to Puerta. Against Manchester in the semifinals he did it again with an assist to De Jong and, two months after his 35th birthday, he looks with all his football splendor, even receiving the call from the national team this Thursday. His tears when eliminating the Manchester they are an appetizer of what he can feel when he lifts the title of champion, an honor that falls to him as captain and, practically, the only thing he has left to achieve in the Seville.
In front, it is true, there will be a fearsome squad. He Inter of Antonio Conte, the second in the Italian league, is a great threat with a fearsome attack. Possibly the best attack in Europe (Lukaku and Lautaro) against the best defense (Kooundé and Diego Carlos). A quote for history and to show that the Seville There is no option in this type of finals, since he has won the five that he has played.
