MY ACCOUNT
Sevilla’s aura in the Europa League is similar to the fear Real Madrid instil into Champions League opponents, says Steven Nzonzi.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma were the latest team to fall foul of Sevilla in a Europa League final as the Andalusian side extended their remarkable record of wins in UEFA’s second-tier club competition to seven.
Only five teams – Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Liverpool and Bayern Munich – have won more major European honours than Sevilla, who beat Roma 4-1 on penalties after a tightly contested 1-1 draw in Budapest.
Nzonzi, who helped Unai Emery’s Sevilla beat Liverpool in 2016 to seal a third straight Europa League crown, believes the club have now created such an air of dominance in the tournament that they can be compared to Madrid, who have won the Champions League/European Cup on 14 occasions.
He told Stats Perform: “I don’t know if they are the greatest team, it is hard to say but, of course they are one of the best teams to play in that competition.
“I really feel they have that energy that experience going on in that competition and it makes them win, it reminds me of Real Madrid in the Champions League.
“Real Madrid are another level and the won the Champions League more [times] than Sevilla won the Europa League but [Sevilla are] one of those teams when they are in that competition, you feel like anything is possible and they can win it.”
Asked why Sevilla are able to sustain such success in the Europa League, Nzonzi replied: “It’s really hard to say because sometimes you play against other teams that are better than you.
“They may play better or on paper have better players than you but you are still the one ending the game or winning the competition.
“I think it’s the whole vibe, the whole energy going on, in the changing room, in the club there is a confidence because if you already won it one, two, three, four, five, six times, you have the confidence to win it again and feel that you are the superior team in that competition.
“Then there is the fans. I watched the semi-final and when Juventus played in Sevilla, I looked at the fans and I said, ‘They [Juve] are not winning, the fans are just so good’. They are just pushing you so much, it is very difficult for the other team to feel confident.
“I think the big thing with Sevilla is the fans. I feel it is a big part of the energy that is happening for them in the Europa league.
“I remember going to the stadium and having a lot of fans not stopping the bus, but following the bus. [In the 2015-16 final] there were much more Liverpool fans in the stadium, but we still could feel the energy of the Sevilla fans.”
Sevilla were embroiled in a relegation scrap in LaLiga until Jose Luis Mendilibar replaced Jorge Sampaoli in March, and while they are set for a mid-table finish, their Europa League triumph means Champions League football beckons next term.
“It feels like the Europa League has big things to do with Sevilla, because it is just incredible,” Nzonzi added.
“And I think it is even better because they are not qualifying for the Champions League through LaLiga.”
