Sevilla FC lift the Europa League in Turin

2014-2021: SEVEN YEARS SINCE THE THIRD EUROPA LEAGUE TRIUMPH

14/05/2021
Sevilla FC began their European campaign on 1st August, and won it for the third time nine and a half months later in Turin

After the first wave of titles, the one that began in Eindhoven and continued with successes in Monaco and Glasgow, as well as the Copa del Rey and Super Cup triumphs at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning trophies began to seem normal to Sevillistas. The team reached the Champions League and continued to rub shoulders with the greats. However, maintaining a run like that is the difficult part and, although another Copa del Rey win followed in 2010, the team missed out on European qualification in the 2011/12 season. After the one-season absence in 2012/13, excitement returned with the team's participation in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League season. 

Undeterred by the date of the first qualifier, 1st August, 30,000 Sevillistas turned up for a match at home to an unknown team from Montenegro. In the first match of the Group Stage, there were more Sevilla fans than home fans in Estoril, as 3,000 Sevillistas travelled to Portugal. Unai Emery's side dominated their group and reached the knockout stage, where there were so many signs of a great season. A win over Maribor was followed by El Gran Derbi, the only European tie between the two sides. Although everything that could go wrong did in the first leg, the second leg was a dream that is still barely believable today. 

That magical penalty shoot-out in Heliópolis, the unbelievable comeback at home to FC Porto... Mbia's goal at Mestalla! There are enough stories from that Europa League seasons to write several books, with so many incredible moments in such a short time. However, the most difficult step was yet to come, with the team up against Benfica in the final, at the Juventus Stadium in Turin. It may not have been the most spectacular final, but, after so many challenges, another shoot-out could not stop them. Sevilla scored all four of their penalties and denied Oblak's Benfica their long-awaited European title. That was the third time the Europa League came back to Nervión, the midway point of a remarkable journey that seems to have no end.