Madrid: Sevilla’s coach, Jose Luis Mendilibar, has announced that every player in his first-team squad will travel Tuesday to Budapest for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Roma, where they’ll strive for a seventh title in the competition.
This means the suspended Marcos Acuna, along with Jesus ‘Tecatito’ Corona and Pape Gueye, will travel for a match that has more than prestige at stake, reports Xinhua.
In addition to the opportunity to hoist the trophy, Wednesday’s victor also secures a spot in the European Supercup and next season’s Champions League, which could provide a significant financial boost for the club.
With high stakes, Mendilibar rested several key players during his team’s 2-1 home defeat against Real Madrid on Saturday. Full-backs Jesus Navas and Alex Telles, defensive midfielder Fernando and forwards Lucas Ocampos and Youssef En-Nesyri all rested, while others like Ivan Rakitic and Nemanja Gudelj played only part of the match.
Goalkeeper Bono, who has served as a substitute in La Liga since Mendilibar arrived at the club, did play over the weekend to ensure he is at peak form for Wednesday.
Mendilibar has executed a remarkable turnaround since he arrived at the club, with Saturday marking only the second defeat Sevilla has suffered since he replaced Jorge Sampaoli in March.
The former Eibar, Osasuna and Valladolid coach arrived at the Sanchez Pizjuan intending to prevent Sevilla’s relegation to the second division and has manoeuvred them into a position where they still have a shot at finishing seventh in La Liga.
Mendilibar has steered Sevilla past Manchester United and Juventus on their journey to the final with dramatic comebacks in both stages.
The coach signed with Sevilla only until the end of the campaign, and his future at the club remains unconfirmed, although it increasingly appears that he will be offered a new deal, regardless of Wednesday’s outcome.
“What Jose Luis has done has been vital. He has gotten the best out of us, and when you look at the teams we’ve beaten, it’s something to be proud of. He deserves to be with us for a long time,” Navas told the press Monday.
After years of helping teams fend off relegation, Wednesday night could finally grant ‘Mendi’ the opportunity to coach in the most prominent club competition there is.
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