Sevilla qualifying for the Europa League final has become almost routine in the past two decades but this season’s run was unforeseen by everyone. Except for their players.
Two months ago, Sevilla slipped to a two-goal loss at Getafe to plunge them deeper into the relegation mire at the foot of La Liga. Days earlier, they had sealed – a somewhat unconvincing and nervy – progress past Fenerbahce into the last eight of the European competition.
The Andalusian club sacked Jorge Sampaoli – their third coach of the campaign, who had replaced Julen Lopetegui five months earlier – and moved for Jose Luis Mendilibar. A highly-respected coach but one who was viewed as a quick fix to immediately improve results and morale, to stabilise the situation until the end of the campaign.
