beIN SPORTS

By David Cartlidge (@davidjaca)

Touching down in Basle on Tuesday, every step Sevilla made off the plane was one heading towards making history. After all, the Spaniards are aiming to become the first club to lift the trophy three years running. In fact, they have already made history by becoming the first club to dispute the Europa League final (or UEFA Cup in its previous form) three times in a row.

This should be cause for celebration. It is still. But lingering in the background there is Sevilla’s season before today. One utterly forgetful; one it could be said that is shameful.

A 7th place finish is distinctly disappointing for a club with their type of lofty ambitions. They finished an astonishing 39 points behind eventual La Liga winners Barcelona, and while their different financial statuses come into play, Sevilla should be not lagging this far behind. 

In fact, they finished 8 points behind 6th place Celta Vigo, a team they have financial might over - and 12 points behind Villarreal who took the final Champions League spot. Villarreal were only KO'd in the semi-final stage of the Europa League, so using the competition as a distraction is hardly an excuse. A Champions League spot via the league was probably Sevilla’s target at the start of the season, as they celebrated yet another Europa League triumph and put a new squad together. It was time to kick on. Except they haven’t, in fact, they have regressed. 

Last season they finished 5th with 76 points, and until the very last moment of the league mounted a strong Champions League spot threat. They only lost 8 games all season too. This season they lost nearly double that, 14. Much is due to their repulsive away record. And really, their is no sugarcoating it.

Sevilla did not win a single away game all season in La Liga. Not one. This meant they became the first team since Real Murcia in 2003/2004 to not win away through an entire season. It’s not a deceptive statistic too. Sevilla didn’t deserve to win any of those away games as for the majority they were drastically poor. Unai Emery’s system away from home flattered to deceive, while players seemed somewhat demotivated and lacking focus. Emery’s notoriously questionable squad rotation didn’t help too, as he still encountered the same mistakes that blighted him in the past.

It makes you question whether another Europa League triumph can cover over the issues at Sevilla. It might take a win in Basle, and a win at the weekend - Sevilla still has the Copa del Rey to play for - to truly make this season memorable. That their fans will avert their eyes from the league table in a potentially historic season tells you a lot though.

Going forward too, there is plenty for Sevilla to think about. What is the priority next year for instance? Is it time to mount a serious campaign, and over the summer investigate what really went wrong this season? Monchi, the much heralded Sporting Director, may well face another tough summer in the transfer market - not that he’s a stranger to that. Ever Banega looks set to leave the club, while offers will come the way of Kevin Gameiro. The signings from last summer have for the most part disappointed, with only flashes of their capabilities. Monchi needs to better to make sure Sevilla doesn’t regress further.

Then there is Emery. There are some who suggest things have become stale under him, and a new coach may be the answer. While he’s still taking the club to finals, he will likely remain. It may take a drastic drop off in the league - even more so than now - to see him moved on.

Plenty to think about at Sevilla - before and after their date with history.