“He was not better technically than Reyes, not a better scorer than Antoñito, he wasn’t faster, neither more resistant than Jesús Navas, nor did he have his capacity; he did not have the speed of Capel, he did not have the power of Sergio Ramos… we can talk about sporting qualities, physical, technical, tactical, psychological… but he was outstanding or remarkably high in everything and a class of honour as a person. He was a kid predestined to be the captain of Sevilla FC.”
- Manolo Jiménez in Estadio Deportivo, March 2024
Our pre-season resumes with the 13th edition of the Antonio Puerta Trophy at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, as we welcome Saudi side Al-Ittihad. Last season’s 5th place finishers are not only one of the top teams in Saudi Arabia, but also successful at continental level, being the 1st team to win back to back AFC Champions League titles (2004, 2005). A few familiar faces will be on the opposing side, but none more recognizable than Karim Benzema, finishing last season with 11 goals & 8 assists (all comps). Recent €50M signing Moussa Diaby will likely make his first appearance for the club as well.
The Tigers will be the 5th non-Spanish side to partake in this match, and the first from Asia. Our record is 10-2 in this competition, with the 2 losses at the hands of Granada in 2010 & Boca Juniors in 2016. Sevilla is looking to not make this a 3rd loss for this trophy, but also their 3rd straight in pre-season. The Saudi club have also started their pre-season with a loss, defeated 2-0 against Elche last Saturday.
Gerard “Peque” Fernández is included for the first time, as Dmitrovic returns from injury, as does Carmona from illness. The previous set of cantera players live to see another friendly.
There shouldn’t typically be much pressure during pre-season, but recent times in sevillismo haven’t been so rosy. Coming off our worst season in decades, and starting pre-season still suffering from the same issues will certainly have the fans worried heading into a new campaign. Will the magic of the Pizjuán help García Pimienta find a winning solution for his Sevilla?
: The match will be streaming on Sevilla FC’s YouTube channel at 2200 CEST.
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Great job 
