Normally when you remember finals won, something that is not too difficult for a Sevilla FC fan, you remember that day. The day, the big one, the zenith. Eindhoven, Monaco, Glasgow, Madrid, Turin, Warsaw, Basel... there is always that one day you remember into which the effort of an entire season has been channelled. Today is one of those days. The 20th August is another day in the long list of Sevilla finals.
However, in the case of the sixth Europa League, it's even more difficult to sum up the success in 90 minutes. The team stood up to the current champions of Italy. The team got back up, came back and withstood a second barrage to come away with the title. Banega's magic, De Jong's finishing, the resolute defence and Bono's firm presence. But, to get to that final in Cologne, you had to win three other finals with a new format that no one was prepared for.
When Sevilla was about to play the first leg of the last-16 against Roma, the pandemic hit. No more matches, training... lockdown was instigated. And after a demanding end to the season, when the majority of clubs were heading off on their holidays, Sevilla had to travel to Germany to begin the fight for the sixth Europa League, which seemed a long way off. In fact, after the great performance against the Italians, the team returned home before the quarter-finals.
Sevilla responded expertly to the new format to come away with the trophy
Next up were Wolves - a team with little European experience but who came from the mighty Premier League. Bono was key as he saved a penalty and Ocampos booked the team's ticket to the semi-final in injury time. There was no time to return to Seville and the team maintained their headquarters in Düsseldorf. Waiting for them was Manchester United, in one of the most incredible games in Sevilla's history. This time, the English side did not miss an early penalty, but Suso equalised before the team. Sevilla did not have it easy in the second half as United had numerous chances, but Bono wrote himself into Sevilla history as he stopped every one. And when United began to fatigue, Navas popped up on the right, sent the ball in, and Luuk de Jong did all the rest.
Another European final. And with how the team made it to that match in Cologne, it seemed it was written in the stars. But the mighty Inter Milan did their best to deny the fairytale ending. When Danny Makkelie blew his whistle, with Sevilla as 3-2 winners, the tears broke out as they often do in these moments of elation, but these had even more emotion behind them than usual. With the pandemic still fresh in everyone's mind, the cup win gave Sevilla fans something to celebrate after some very difficult months. And tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of the cup's arrival to the Sánchez-Pizjuán - the only place in the world where you can see six Europa Leagues together.
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대한민국 - Soon