Sevilla are seven-time Europa League winners and one-time La Liga winners. But recent times have been hard. The Andalusians have not finished in the top half of La Liga since the 2021/22 season.
Sevilla looked a changed side in the first few weeks of last season. Despite losing the first two games under new manager Matías Almeyda, the team pressed well as a unit and looked a lot more lively than in the previous seasons. They won four of their next six matches, capped by a 4-1 thrashing of Barcelona. In early October they sat in sixth place in La Liga.
But that promise soon faded. By Matchday 19, the halfway point of the season, they had dropped to 14th with only two wins out of eleven. Supporter anger grew, specifically towards club president José María del Nido, who many believe is the reason for Sevilla’s misfortunes.
It would get worse for Los Nervionenses in 2026. They would slip down in to 18th place by Matchday 33, despite sacking Almeyda and hiring Luis García at the end of March. Garcia would eventually turn the ship around, however, with three consecutive wins in matchdays 34-36. That proved enough to keep Sevilla up. They finished 13th, a single point from relegation.
Transfers
At the time of writing, Sevilla’s transfer activity has been discouraging.
The three top scorers from last season, namely Akor Adams (10), Djibril Sow (5), and Alexis Sanchez (4), have left the club. The retirement of César Azpilicueta, departure of captain Nemanja Gudelj and the sale of homegrown talent Juanlu Sánchez means the loss of experienced heads in the changing room.
The acquisition of the Allsvenskan top scorer Robbie Ure is an interesting one. The Scotsman scored fifteen in fifteen for IK Sirius, but can the centre-forward adapt to La Liga? The most promising action so far has been the free signing of former Le Havre captain Arouna Sangante. His acquisition could prove to be good business as the centre-back is a good passer and reader of the game.
Fans Profile
Each Spanish club has their own himno. Himno translates into hymn in English and is essentially a club anthem that is sung before home games as the players walk out. Sevillians are known for their joyous culture and Flamenco, which the anthem references through the three-beat Sevillan Hand Clap.
The ultra group is called Biris Norte. This is a reference to Alhaji Momodo Njie or “Biri Biri”, a Gambian footballer who became the first black player to play for the club between 1972-78. In the last couple of years, the fan group has staged many protests against the club’s hierarchy, often leading to a loss of atmosphere in the ground; hostilities are likely to continue this season.
El Gran Derbi
El Gran Derbi, or The Great Derby between Sevilla and Real Betis, is said (by some) to be the biggest and fiercest derby in Spain, ahead of El Clásico. The reasons for this are twofold. The first is the proximity between the two sides, and the second is the class divide, which was more pronounced in the past. The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán and Benito Villamarín are located less than an hour away from each other on foot, but their locations represent different mentalities. Sevilla’s Sánchez Pizjuán is located in Nervión, an affluent neighborhood in the north, whereas the Benito Villamarín is located in the southern, more working-class Heliópolis neighborhood.
Strong Start to 2026/27
Four minutes into the 2026/27 La Liga season and Sevilla fans were despondent. Álvaro García of Rayo Vallecano slammed the ball into the net mere inches from the goal line to give the visitors the lead. But García would later gift Sevilla a penalty when he misjudged a tackle and took down Miguel Sierra in the box. Jon Guridi would convert the spot-kick in the 52nd minute to level the score.
It looked bleak for the home side after centre-back Kike Salas was shown a straight red for a nasty challenge in the 88th. Sevilla had been the better side, but a draw looked in the cards until the 4th minute of stoppage time. The referee granted a penalty after Robbie Ure was tackled. Look at the new striker making good!
The Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán held its breath as Peque Fernández stepped up to the mark. He powered home the shot into the upper left corner to give Sevilla the win!
It’s only one game, but maybe, just maybe, Sevilla is back on the climb?
