FRANCO VÁZQUEZ SAYS GOODBYE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF CLASS IN NERVIÓN

25/05/2021

The Argentine says goodbye to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán after 198 games played and 26 goals scored

Five seasons. 198 games and 26 goals. Time goes by quickly in life and football, but that's not how Franco Vázquez understands the game. Mudo has done his talking out on the pitch for five years, an impressive feat in modern football with its changing squads. The Argentine was quick to adapt to Seville despite coming from Italy, where he made his name with Palermo. A southern team, just like Sevilla, where he fitted right in and enchanted Sevilla fans with his unique game under Jorge Sampaoli, his first coach at the Club.

With Franco Vázquez on the pitch, not just the 'what' mattered. The 'how' was also vital. His football was uniquely distanced from the pragmatism we see nowadays and he always expressed himself to the fans. And that silence off the pitch contrasted to his voice on it. In his first appearance, in Throndeim against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, he gave his first assist. Days later, in his league debut, he scored his first goal at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. 38 games and eight goals, including two braces at the end of the season, was how he signed off his first season. He reached 44 games in his second season, scoring five goals, with the most important the goal against CD Leganés which booked the team their ticket to the Copa del Rey final.

He grew even more in the 18/19 season, which started earlier than usual and in which he scored a goal in the first match against Ujpest from Hungary. He also scored against Standard Liège and Slavia Prague in the Europa League and scored three league goals, the last of which secured yet another home win in El Gran Derbi. That was his season with the most appearances as he played 52 games. With Julen Lopetegui, he played in 34 of 38 league games last season. He scored a clever goal against Atlético Madrid and got a double in the Europa League against Dudelange.

In Germany, he had minutes in all four games and won his first trophy with the Club in his fourth final. He lifted Sevilla FC's sixth Europa League in Cologne and ended the strangest season in football history with 42 games played and six goals scored. Mudo says goodbye this season with 22 games played. He scored one goal, but what a goal it was and a fitting last goal for a player of his style. His back-heel against Elche CF brought him to tears as he realised that perhaps it was the beginning of the end.

198 matches, 26 goals and countless dribbles and assists cannot be forgotten. Thank you for everything, genius. Farewell, Mudo Vázquez!