It’s been just three years since Sevilla lifted the Europa League trophy in front of a stunned crowd in Cologne.
From big victories against Roma and United to an impressive game against Inter, Sevilla clinched their sixth Europa League title and their first in four years.
For a time, between 2019 and 2022, Sevilla seemed like a rival for the ‘big three’ of LaLiga: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid. The Basins often finished fourth.
This not only secured a place in the Champions League. Sevilla threatened the traditional hierarchy of Spanish football.
Sevilla were as skilled in the boardroom as they were on the pitch. The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium produced talent after talent. Some were great, Pablo Sarabia, Wissam Ben Yedder and more recently Jules Koundé. Some were less impressive despite strong seasons. For example, Vitolo, Steven Nzonzi and Clement Lenglet.
Year after year, Sevilla forged increasingly competitive teams with increasingly large signings. That was, until everything went bankrupt.
Approaching the middle of the La Liga season, Sevilla have just eleven points from 14 games. That’s good for just two wins and seven total losses, putting them at a dismal 18th place.
Unlike the histories of Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers FC with many gradually dismal seasons, Sevilla’s downfall has been a harsh one.
off-season business
You can probably link Sevilla’s inadequacy to their relaxed approach to the summer 2022 transfer window.
Sevilla said goodbye to Jules Koundé in their most lucrative transfer of all time. Also selling Diego Carlos and Lucas Ocampos, among other recognizable names.
To replace the reliable centre-back pairing of Kounde and Carlos, Sevilla turned to former Bayern defender Tanguy Nianzou and Marcao. The Spanish team acquired those two for around $30 million, combined.
Sevilla then replaced three players from last season – Ocampos, Munir El Haddadi and Anthony Martial – with three players. Sevilla signed Isco, Kasper Dolberg and Adnan Januzaj.
Not exactly the best return.
While any club would welcome a $67.4 million transfer gain, no one wants to do it by losing a few key players. Although the transfer of Kounde, Carlos and Ocampos for big money is understandable, their replacements have proven mediocre at best.
Nianzou has been average and Marcao has played just seven games due to multiple injuries. Dolberg, Januzaj and Isco have combined for zero goals this season. Isco, with two assists this season, reportedly left Sevilla after a falling out with Sevilla sporting director Monchi.
Sevilla had to sell their players now instead of letting them go for free later. But they definitely could have found better replacements after selling them. He would nip them in the bud again when the season started.
Chaos on and off the pitch
Sevilla’s season began strongly; a bad one Sevilla lost several winnable games at the start of the season.
Sevilla lost to newly promoted Almería and Osasuna, in the middle of the table, 2-1. Despite a 3-2 win over Espanyol, Sevilla entered another winless drought.
Saddled with Champions League matches and a complicated schedule, Sevilla would go an entire month without winning. Julen Lopetegui, the supervisor of Sevilla’s rise to fame, paid the price with his work. The breaking point was a grim 4-1 loss to Dortmund that put their Champions League dreams in grave jeopardy.
The new coach Jorge Sampaoli has only been a little better. Sampaoli saved qualification for the Europa League with a 3-0 win over FC Kobenhaven; the club’s only victory in the competition. However, it has only gotten worse. Aside from a close 1-0 win over Mallorca in October, Sevilla remain in the midst of a LaLiga slump.
Responding to the fall of Sevilla
Sevilla need more than a bigger bank and better results. Needs a review in the tactical department. Sampaoli is in his second stage as Sevilla coach. He is most famous for leading Chile to its first Copa América title.
Sampaoli is a prudent coach. He likes to control the pace of the game by keeping possession and attacking only when the time is right.
In all teams under his guise, there has been some degree of experimentation with team formation.
The same happens with Sevilla, since Sampaoli bounced between a 4-2-3-1, a 5-4-1 and more. But one element remains the same; team possession rates.
All of Sevilla’s victories under Sampaoli have come when Sevilla had possession of more than 55%. That is why teams like Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Manchester City have destroyed Sevilla; prevented them from having time with the ball.
That, and a conservative defense that downplays risks and doesn’t jump on tackles, creates a lot of low-quality opportunities.
Sampaoli’s measured approach has seen Sevilla rank fourth in passes attempted and fifth in passes completed. Most of Sevilla’s offense comes from rebounding shots, which would be expected considering Sevilla’s average is around 12 shots per game.
Sampaoli has also made his team very slow and patient. Sevilla is the fourth player with the most passes in their own defensive third, the seventh with the most touches in LaLiga.
Sevilla’s slow and careful approach has made them one of the worst offenses in the league, although that can be expected when you have out-of-form players like Isco, Erik Lamela, Rafa Mir and Oliver Torres leading the attack.
What Seville needs
Sevilla can start running with a list of winnable winter games to get out of the relegation zone. First they play against Celta de Vigo, 17th.
Then, Sevilla faces Getafe, Girona, Cádiz and Elche. Those teams are all No. 13 in the current table or worse. In fact, Cádiz and Elche are the only two teams below Sevilla in the table.
The club keeps me informed of what is going to happen and I hope it is as soon as possible. We need a left back, a left center back, a midfielder and a striker who can give us strength. I don’t get distracted by things I can’t figure out for myself.
Jorge Sampaoli, from Sevilla FC
Sampaoli has already set to work. Sevilla have reportedly signed Rennes centre-back and France under-21 international Loïc Badé to provide cover in defense, and with plenty of salary margin to work with, Sevilla could definitely pry around the Premier League and the Ligue 1 in search of more promising players.
Sevilla can respond to this rapid fall. Sampaoli and Los Nervionenses will try to make a great comeback to avoid total embarrassment and a possible financial collapse.
PHOTO: IMAGO / NurPhoto
