IVAN RAKITIC SETS THE RECORD FOR MOST SEVILLA FC APPEARANCES BY A FOREIGN PLAYER

For Ivan Rakitic, borders are no limit. Born and raised in Switzerland despite his Croatian ancestry, it was in 2011 that he arrived at what would become his forever home.

It was in Sevilla that he made great strides as a professional and started a family, before leaving for Barcelona three and a half years later. After six seasons in Catalonia, in 2020 it was time for him to return home to continue with his mission of becoming a club legend. 

This afternoon, in Valladolid, his 291st match for the club makes him the foreign player with the most appearances in the club's history, surpassing previous record holder Frederic Kanouté. He is now just nine away from a triple century, a milestone that will now have to wait until next season. 

The numbers say it all. 215 matches in LaLiga Santander (34 goals), 29 in the UEFA Europa League (four goals), 24 in the Copa del Rey (seven goals), 19 in the UEFA Champions League (four goals), and one in the UEFA Super Cup.

Since José Luis Mendilibar's arrival, the Croatian international is once again back at his best. As vice-captain, he is a voice of authority, making it clear that, in his case, his birthplace is not a determining factor in his role as a mentor to his team-mates. There is no one better to instill in them what Sevilla and Sevilla FC are all about.

He had already acquired that in his first spell at the club. A few weeks before bidding farewell tearfully, he was the captain who lifted the trophy when the third UEFA Europa League was won in Turin. Renowned for his rocket of a right foot, he has 49 goals in his time here.

His numbers stand out in the all-time history of the club, but particularly in the 21st century. As he overtakes Kanouté, he is now in the top three for appearances this century, trailing Jesús Navas (647) and Andrés Palop (295).

Regarding his new record for appearances made by a foreign player, just hours before making his 200th appearance in Getafe in August 2021, he commented that it would be "an unbelievable dream" to be that player.

Despite being 35, Rakitic has made it clear that the journey doesn't end just yet. There are still individual and collective objectives ahead for the adopted Sevillano.