Sevilla FC
Sevillistas Hasta La Muerte
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2008-09 was another excellent season for Sevilla FC.
In the capable hands of Manolo Jimenez, th side finished third in La Liga and played some very effective football, which is impressive given that they don't have a superstar squad.
Obviously, Kanouté, Luis Fabiano, Palop, Diego Capel et al are top class players, but Sevilla's success is down to hard work, good coaching and some
intelligent investment in young promising players.
Every summer over the last few seasons, the club has parted company with its key players - Dani Alves and Sergio Ramos are two recent examples - but the side just seems to get
better.
Apparently, this is also down to a talent scout called Monchi - who is now a football legend here in Spain.
As Sevilla enter the 2009-10 season, it's unclear which players will stay and which will go but Monchi will certainly have something up his sleeve and
Jimenez and his staff will create a team to compete with Spain and Europe's best.
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Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D.
1905
Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
C/ Sevilla Fútbol Club, s/n
41005 Sevilla
www.sevillafc.es
City
Sevilla
Province
Seville Province
Region
Andalucia
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The History of Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC have a reputation as representing the aristocracy or
'señoritos' of Sevillian society, particularly in comparison with
city rivals Betis.
But as their nickname is The Palanganas – The
Washing-Up Bowls – and their road to success has been far from easy,
the Sevillanos' reputation might be just another football cliché.
Late off the Starting Block
In March 1890 a team of British expats based in Seville beat Recreativo
de Huelva 2-0 in the very first recorded game of football on Spanish soil
but when Sevilla FC was finally founded 15 years later, it was definitely
an Andalusian enterprise.
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Sevilla FC was finally born on October 14 1905 and, in his inaugural speech,
the club's first President José Luís Gallegos said that 'All men irrespective of
social status and religious and political ideas have their place here' - hardly
elitist in tone and it seems that early matches were little more than a kick about
amongst Sevillian locals.
The club had to wait until 1909 to play its first official game once again against
Recreativo and until 1913 until it got its first decent ground, El Campo del Mercantil.
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The following year Sevilla FC won their first Seville Cup and soon dominated the
Andalusian Cup - which began in 1916 - winning 14 out of its 17 editions and finishing
runner-up in the other three.
For locals then, Sevilla's reputation could well have
been the result of jealousy.
At national level, the club's best performance was reaching the semi-finals of the Copa
del Rey in 1921 - and didn't manage to qualify for the first Liga in 1929.
A Change of Fortunes
Everything began to change for Sevilla when wealthy Sevillian businessman Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán became club president in 1932.
The Nervión Stadium had opened just
in time for the first Liga and Sánchez Pizjuán had the foresight to buy up the whole of the
surrounding area. The area is now one of the better parts of Seville but for the club it was an important base.
In 1934, only two years after Sánchez Pizjuán had become president, Sevilla FC were promoted to
Primera División for the first time and won their first Spanish Cup then known as the Copa de
la República a season later.
In 1936, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War put an end to national football in Spain and Sevilla FC's
short-lived winning streak. However, during the hostilities, while the Nervión was used as offices,
Betis's ground the Heliópolis allegedly became a torture centre for Republicans many of whom came from
the working-class districts that Betis fans came from.
It was at this time that Sánchez Pizjuán had used his influence with what was to become the Franco Regime - while Sevilla's Nervión Stadium was used as
offices, Betis' gound El Heliópolis was used as a torture centre for Republican Beticos.
It's during the Civil War and later under the Dictatorship that Sevilla gain a reputation for privilege.
The Post-War Period
The city of Seville had been one of the first to fall to the Nationalists and at the end of the conflict
was less affected than other cities, such as Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona, which had suffered heavy bombing
and air attacks by the Stuka fighter planes of Nazi Germany.
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With a forward line nicknamed 'Los Stukas', in 1939 Sevilla FC began the first post-war season strongly
by beating Republican clubs Barcelona 11-1, Valencia 10-3 and Hércules 8-3. They won the Spanish Cup –
renamed the Trofeo del Generalísimo - the same year and only missed out on winning La Liga in the very last
game of the season.
During the following decade, Sevilla FC's success continued. They won their first and only Liga in 1946 and
their third Cup, now the Copa del Generalísimo, in 1948.
But as Spanish football entered the Fifties and life in Spain returned to relative normality,
they found it increasingly difficult to compete with the traditional big clubs and faded.
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In 1956, Sevilla FC qualified for the European Cup and Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán died in the same year, leaving as his testimony Sevilla's
current stadium, which opened in 1958 and was named in his honour.
The 1995 Scandal
Over the next few decades, Sevilla FC made little impact on Spanish football. Although they qualified for the Europe a
couple of times, they also spent periods in Segunda and the era was dominated by mid-table mediocrity.
But in 1995 Sevilla became front page news once again.
La Ley de Deportes – the Sports Law of the early Nineties – had obliged a number of clubs to become Public Limited Sports
Companies - that's why many clubs have S.A.D. - Sociedad Anónima Deportiva - after their names.
In 1995, Sevilla FC and Celta de Vigo were unable to present adequate guarantees of financial solvency
and were relegated to Segunda B - the third tier of Spanish football. This was a massive scandal at the time.
In a typically Spanish scenario, Albacete and Valladolid - who'd been relegated - were given the two free places in Primera.
Sevilla fans blew up such an incredible fuss - including one supporter going on hunger strike - that La Liga backed down
and reinstated the two clubs.
Spain was in the ridiculous situation of being the only league in Europe with 22 clubs and what's more Sevilla Fc obviously hadn't learnt
their lesson.
Their finances in an appalling state, they bobbed up and down between Primera and Segunda for the next five seasons - when they were promoted again
in 2001, nobody thought they'd stay up for long.
The Modern Miracle
But after a couple of decent seasons finishing in the top half of the table, it was obvious that with very few resources coach
Joaquín Caparrós was building a talented side by bringing up youngsters through the youth system and signing promising foreign
players cheaply.
In 2004, they qualified for UEFA for the first time but whilst putting in a respectable performance were a little overawed but the European level.
In their 2005 centenary year - now under Juande Ramos - they were back in the UEFA again and this time it was for real.
After an amazing run and a nailbighting semi-final against Schalke 04 with the only goal scored by Antonio Puerta, humble Sevilla
thrashed Middlesborough 4-0 in the 2006 final and won their first title in more than half a century.
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This might have been just a flash in the pan but Sevilla's talented squad proved its worth by hammering Champions League title
holders Barcelona 3-0 in the European Super Cup.
If that wasn't enough they reached the number one position in the IFFHS
ranking of clubs in November 2006.
In 2007, they went from strength to strength winning another UEFA Cup against Espanyol, the Copa del Rey against Getafe and
the Spanish Super Cup by beating Real Madrid.
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But on August 25 2007 - three days after their Spanish Super Cup victory - football fans worldwide were moved
by events that
took place during a Liga match against Getafe.
Antonio Puerta, a local boy who had come up through the youth system, suffered a
tragic heart attack during the game and died four days later. As scorer of the only goal in the semi-final of the 2006 UEFA Cup,
he had contributed to changing the fortunes of the club and
Since Puerta's death, fans' attitude to the Sevillian side has changed and now Sevilla are one of the most liked and respected clubs in La Liga. This also
may be due to the good honest football they play and the fact that they've become a regular at the top of the table.
Click Here For Sevilla Shirts And Kit
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Sevilla FC Squad 2008-09
Coach: Manuel Jimenez
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1. Andrés Palop (Goalkeeper)
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2. Javi Navarro (Captain – Defender)
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3. Ivica Dragutinovic (Defender)
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4. Sébastien Squillaci (Defender)
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5. Aldo Duscher (Midfield)
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6. Adriano (Midfield)
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7. Jesús Navas (Midfield)
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8. Enzo Maresca (Midfield)
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9. Arouna Kané (Forward)
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10. Luís Fabiano (Forward)
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11. Renato (Midfield)
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12. Frédéric Kanouté (Forward)
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13. Javi Varas (Goalkeeper)
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14. Julien Escudé (Defender)
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15. Aquivaldo Mosquera (Defender)
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16. David Prieto (Defender)
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17. Diego Capel (Midfield)
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18. Fernando Navarro (Defender)
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19. Javier Chevantón (Forward)
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20. Tom de Mul (Midfield)
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21. Lautaro Acosta (Forward)
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22. Romaric (Midfield)
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23. Federico Fazio (Defender)
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24. Abdoulay Konko (Defender)
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26. Crespo (Defender)
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If you're interested in Sevilla FC and the history and culture of the Spanish game, you'll enjoy Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football by Phil Ball.
The chapter on football in Seville is particularly good.
Phil Ball takes you all round the Andalusian capital telling the history of the traditional rivalry between
Sevilla and Betis with great accounts of dastardly dealings perpetrated by both clubs.
But what makes the chapter so great are the chats Ball has with taxi drivers as he gets from place to place - they all give their own views on one of the
great rivalries in Spanish football.
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