LALIGA Special: Sevilla's Loud Echo on the European Stage

Anomalies seem to have become a characteristic feature of Sevilla. This club from the Andalusia region has been quite successful in domestic competitions. However, they are even more respected when competing in Europe. Seven Europa League titles stand as evidence of the greatness of this club nicknamed "Los Nervionenses." Their number of titles in Europe surpasses their achievements in LALIGA.

In the flag room at the LALIGA headquarters in Madrid, Spain, 20 flags of the league's participating clubs are lined up. There is a unique rule regarding the arrangement of the flags in that room. The flag of the oldest club is entitled to be placed on the far right. The sequence continues with the next oldest club until the flag of the youngest club occupies the far left position.

Among the 20 club flags, the Sevilla flag has the honor of occupying the far right side as they are currently the oldest club in LALIGA. Sevilla was established in 1890 and is 135 years old this year.

As the oldest club in LALIGA, Sevilla has achieved many accomplishments. However, their various achievements in domestic competitions are relatively overshadowed by their success in conquering Europe.

In the LALIGA event, the top division competition in the Spanish football pyramid, Sevilla has only won it once in 1946, or 79 years ago. This season, Sevilla has struggled to compete at the top after experiencing a chaotic season, remaining at the bottom despite successfully avoiding relegation.

Their achievements are far better in the Spanish King's Cup (Copa del Rey). To date, Sevilla has collected five King's Cup titles. However, behind that inferiority, Sevilla harbors impressive accomplishments on the European stage.

As of now, Sevilla holds the record for the most titles in the Europa League, with seven victories. They even won the Europa League three times in a row from 2013 to 2016.

"I think it's amazing to have seven Europa Leagues. As you know, only one team has it and we are the team that has all seven titles," Sevilla's Head of International Sports Projects Jose Collado told Kompas on Monday (19/5/2025).

The collection of seven Europa League titles further amplifies the name of Sevilla. They have indeed achieved numerous accomplishments at the European level. Theoretically, attaining glory in domestic competitions is far more likely compared to Europe, which operates at a higher level. In competitions such as the Europa League, the best teams from all domestic leagues across Europe come together to compete for the championship.

Even more impressive, Sevilla has won all seven of their Europa League titles without the influx of money or star players. To address this, they consistently produce talented footballers thanks to a player development system that can be considered one of the best in Spain.

Rather than spending big on transfers, Sevilla have focused on developing young players. They have the Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios training complex (sport city) in Utrera, an old agricultural region in Andalusia.

Sevilla's training complex is about 250,000 square meters. From the training field facilities, small stadium, and gym inside, the players who made Sevilla's name were born.

The late Jose Antonio Reyes was a product of Sevilla's academy. He was a player who helped Sevilla score a hat-trick of Europa League champions. In addition to Reyes, the Jose Ramon Cisneros training complex also produced another great player, Jesus Navas. Navas, who decided to hang up his boots in 2025, is ultimately remembered as a club legend.

Strengthening the academy can be considered the main recipe for Sevilla's success. Instead of purchasing expensive players during the transfer market, Sevilla is more adept at producing players. The latest player they have developed is Bryan Gil, who was bought by Tottenham Hotspur but is currently on loan to Girona.

"Of course, the academy at Sevilla Football Club is always very important. We have several players who were born here. We are a club that believes in the academy. We invest heavily in our coaches and facilities because we understand that player development is crucial," said Jose.

The training material is made different at each age level. Sevilla academy players are mostly recruited from the surrounding area. Sevilla has one talent scout at each age level. The talent scouts regularly watch local competitions. If there are young footballers who stand out, they will be recommended to enter the academy.

Sevilla has a wealth of football talent. This is due to many children playing football in the streets or narrow alleys. From street football, their individual skills are honed and perfected in academies. In addition to the Andalusia region, Sevilla also has connections with numerous scouts in America, Asia, and Africa.

"Usually, we recruit players who are intelligent. By this, I mean players who make the right decisions on the field. They know when it is time to launch a quick attack, when to halt the attack, and when to start controlling the ball," said Jose, outlining the criteria for footballers suitable for recruitment into the academy.

Sevilla's journey is impressive in that they seem to possess a kind of anomaly. While they must struggle hard to achieve success in domestic competitions, Sevilla easily conquers Europe.

All of this was achieved not through a flood of money in the transfer market, but through the diligence of developing talented footballers from the youth training system.