IVAN RAKITIĆ, 200 GAMES AS A SEVILLISTA

24/08/2021

The Croatian footballer joined Sevilla for the first time on 28 January, 2011 from Schalke 04

You can't speak about Sevilla FC without mentioning Ivan Rakitić. The Croatian footballer made his 200th appearance for the club when he came off the bench in the win against Getafe CF at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. His statistics and records speak for themselves during these 200 games, and he is considered a club legend. To recognise his achievement as a Sevilla FC player, the club's president, José Castro, presented him with a commemorative football shirt in the game against Getafe.

In the four and a half seasons as a Sevilla player, the midfielder has played in 154 LaLiga games, eight Champions League, 20 Europa League and 16 Copa del Rey as well as one UEFA Supercup. With 40 goals and 46 assists, one of his highlights with the Nervión club thus far is winning the Europa League in Turin against Benfica.

After arriving at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán halfway through the 2010/11 season, Rakitić made 13 appearances in the second half of the season, scoring five goals and creating one assist. Despite being on the sidelines with a broken foot in the same season, the Croatian established himself as a starter in the team for the 2011/12 season, featuring in 36 of the 38 league games. He continued to add to his records by registering six assists as well as playing three times in the Copa del Rey, scoring once.

One season later, Rakitić continued to make a name for himself at the club, making 34 appearances in LaLiga as well as scoring eight times and creating ten assists. His records also improved in the Copa del Rey as he scored three goals and registered four assists in the eight games played in the competition. With 11 goals and 14 assists to his name, he was an invaluable player in a season in which Sevilla returned to the Europa League.

He lifted the club's fourth UEFA Europa League trophy in Turin.

The 2013/14 season stands out, not only for Sevillistas, but also for Rakitić himelf, who made history by lifting the club's fourth UEFA Europa League trophy in Turin. The Croatian finished a dream campaign, in which he played 52 games, with a Europa League trophy with the club after beating Benfica in the final. He played a pivotal role in the tournament, playing in 16 games, scoring three times and registering two assists. Featuring in 34 league games, as well as scoring 12 goals and creating 12 assists in the same season, Croatian would sign for FC Barcelona the following season, signalling the end of his first spell at the club.

After six seasons away from the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, the Croatian returned to Sevilla in the 2020/21 season, a few months after the club had lifted its sixth Europa League trophy. Rakitić yet again became part of the team's foundations, making 37 appearances and scoring four goals for Lopetegui's men. He was equally as important in the team's campaign in the Champions League as he featured eight times, scoring twice and registering two assists. He also added four games to his tally in the Copa del Rey, as well as getting two goals.