Hey y’all,
This match is a big deal for me, let me tell you why.
This match falls, to the day, on my 20th anniversary as a sevillista. 20 years. 240 months. 7,304 days.
And perhaps fittingly to where we’re at as a club right now…the first match I saw all those years ago in the RSP…was a loss. To be honest, a fairly inconsequential loss in the grand scheme of things. A loss to Frank Rijkaard’s Barça, with Ronaldinho and Xavi on the field, among others. Reyes during his first spell, Antoñito, the legend (hah!) and Javi Navarro, Gallardo, Reyes, and Torrado, among others, on Sevilla’s squad. Don’t think they had even made it up to the first team yet, but Jesus Navas and Sergio Ramos were both playing for Sevilla Atlético that season.
In any case, in that first RSP match of mine, Martí with two yellows in two minutes, seals the deal for Barcelona to maintain their 0-1 win.
But to be honest, to me, at the time…I was there with no real sense that I was watching anything other than spectacle. Tourism, to put it another way. I had never really watched a professional football match, and figured I might as well…when in Rome.
But this team has its way with you. I went back. Sat with the Biris in the pouring rain. We had a mediocre season, but two important things happened around that time. Earlier that week, Sevilla came back from losing to the colchoneros in Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey QUARTERFINALS, on January 20th (twenty years and two days ago) to open a can on Atlético Madrid, winning 4-0 in the RSP. Goals by Dario Silva, Gallardo, Julio Baptista, and José Antonio Reyes.
I’ll let you all pick out the other gems from the stat sheet of this match:
Simeone, Torres, Alves…Gregorio Manzano on the bench for them, Caparrós on the bench for us…
We got knocked out by Raúl and Real Madrid in Semis of CdR. Thankfully mighty Zaragoza took them down in the finals, but that’s all beside the point.
Atlético Madrid was an important part of that Sevilla FC season for another very important reason. We ended with the exact same WDL record as Atlético that season, tied on points, but with the tie break in our favor, if I’m not mistaken, based on an away goal in another loss to Atlético in Madrid, a José Antonio Reyes PK. Which put us through to the former UEFA Cup, by the skin of our teeth.
And for those who don’t know, that story ends in Eindhoven, with gloria eterna for sevillistas everywhere.
All this to say. Sevilla is Sevilla. And sevillista seré hasta la muerte.
Maybe the magic of that Sevilla 20+ years ago is still alive.
Vamoooooooos.
Thank you for sharing! I love to hear the connections people have with Sevilla.
Ocampos, Lukebakio, and Salas appear to not be travelling with the team to Madrid.
That is good to hear, got nervous there for a minute.
I don’t see Hannibal though.
Hopefully saving him for la liga. I am excited to see more from him though, the minutes he was on last week I am intrigued about what he can produce for the club.
Mallorca taking it to Girona right now 3-0
Mallorca and Athletic through over Girona and Barcelona. With the way we’ve played this season, I can’t be too optimistic, but from what I saw at the end of last season, we’re definitely capable.
Let’s hope for another upset tomorrow
There is a rumor,why Hannibal is not in the squad…because he dont speak spanish…aha…
Perhaps,this evening ,is the first game in this season, i will not look till the end. I fed up with Jordan etc.
There are also alegedly tensions between Orta und QSF…fits yes
Some shade on tonights confrontation. Three Sevillista’s have lost their lives on the way to Madrid today. A dad and two children. Maybe there will be a minute of silence before the game but if not still condolences to their families and people involved. 
Why does Ramos keep getting starts? Bade should be playing.
Ridiculous that Ramos keeps getting the start.
It’s sad when the reputation goes before form. These managers aren’t big enough to manage him. Same probably with the board too.
Ramos has shown some value, mouthy and fighting plus he scored some nice headers, but the negative parts overshadow those I agree. Misplaced confident attitude, weak defending actions and so many easy give aways, bit of a panic creator sometimes where you expect him to do exactly not that. Some of the things he did well against Getafe we will need here against Atletico too, they are similar in their approach. So I think Ramos has his value this game as well.
holy shit what happened? i feel so bad for that poor family