The epic of Sevilla against Inter by Antonio Conte and exile

They will fly, they will fly flags and they will sound palms that no one will be able to imitate thousands of kilometers from the RheinEnergieStadion of Suburb while sevillismo, full of pride, is deluded with the umpteenth joy of this epic century that not even the most dreamer of Nervione fans imagined at its dawn, when the remembered president Roberto Ales stated that famous “we don't even have for balls”. Sanitized by the capital gains in transfers of the executor of all this, Monchi, who returned to Sánchez Pizjuán 17 months ago to return the train of greatness to its rails, under the good command of a directive that tonight will lead again Jose Castro, Sevilla faces their sixth final of the Europa League in 14 years, the fourth in the last seven (follow the game live on As.com).

He does it in an express way, through an unprecedented tournament of forced exile in Germany that today fulfills for those of Lopetegui 15 days, during which fierce rivals such as the Roma, the Wolves and the Manchester United. In the semis, last Sunday, the Red Devils subjected Sevillla to the exercise of a resilience that will put another history of the continent to the test: the Football Club Internazionale Milano of Italy. The most Inter of all the Inter that exist in the world.

Three European Cups and three of the Europa League (they were still called UEFA Cups and only Sevilla have achieved more) adorn the magnificent record of Inter Milan, the only transalpine club that has never dropped to Second. Nerazzurri history has been somewhat dwarfed in recent years in the shadow of the Juventus, great dominator of the Calcium, but not so long ago that the Interistas knew the maximum continental glory by winning the Champions League. It happened in 2010, with Jose Mourinho. The minimalist football practiced by the Portuguese coach marries the tradition of a team that in the 60s, under the leadership of the legendary Helenio Herrera, contributed very successfully to the creation of the catenaccio.

With a slim fit shirt, studio tan and hair from the operating room, Antonio Conte came to San siro together with a rocky and powerful football that fits perfectly into this Amarrategui school, marinated with one of the best, if not the best, spearhead that can be found in current football: Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez. Both will form the interista attack tonight, with a headdress Alexis Sanchez waiting at the bank.

Inter have repeated eleven starters in the three games of this final phase, since they eliminated the Getafe of Jose Bordalás in eighths. Doubt Julen lopetegui, who has also drawn from the same line-up against Roma, Wolves and United, if to give his team a twist to the almost impenetrable configuration of the Nerazurro cast. The Basque coach already invented things in some games against the greats during the league season and it was only regular for him, so it is not expected that it will change too much what, except for some moments against United, has worked for him throughout this mini-tournament.

Maybe Gudelj will come out to help Diego Carlos and Koundé against that buffalo stampede that the Lukaku-Lautaro duo represents. Banega will dance his last sevillista tango before going to Arabia and Ocampos will only play if he forgets his knee discomfort and he gives the electric version that he has offered for much of the campaign, not the timid one against United. Play those who play, they will do so driven by the weight of a wonderful story in this tournament, their tournament, which lives the German epic as a tremendous climax. So come on, Seville: come on champion.