Sevilla: From serial Europa League winners to fans breaking into the training ground – and relief for now

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A guttural roar of celebration rose from the stands when the final whistle blew at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan on Tuesday.

Home team Sevilla had all but secured safety from relegation to Spain’s second division with a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Las Palmas. Those shouts of joy were almost immediately followed by loud chants ringing around the stadium of, “The board must resign” and “Junior, go now” — aimed at deeply unpopular club president Jose Maria Del Nido Jr and his executives.

Sevilla captain Suso was close to tears as he began his post-match interview with broadcaster DAZN after 22-year-old striker Alvaro Garcia Pascual’s first-ever senior goal gave Sevilla a first home win in any competition for six months. That effort brought some relief after some of the most dramatic and tense days in the club’s 135-year history.

“I don’t know what to say, but I think I’m happy,” Suso said. “We’ve had a really bad time these months. It has been a bad season. The fans have not deserved that, and neither have we. Today we have to be proud, happy with the team’s work. We asked the fans to help us today, and they responded as they always have.”

Suso was not asked during that interview to comment on the chants against the club president, which were still ringing out behind him as he spoke. Also unmentioned directly — but hanging over the conversation — were the events of last weekend, when a group of fans broke into Sevilla’s training ground, when the players were there, in protest at their months of poor results.

On Saturday afternoon, Sevilla lost 3-2 away against Celta Vigo, despite playing more than half the game with a man advantage following a red card. The defeat meant the side from Andalusia on Spain’s south coast had taken just two points from the previous 24 available in La Liga — relegation for the first time since the 1999-2000 season looked a real possibility with just three games remaining.

After flying home, the squad were met at Seville airport by an unmarked bus, which picked the players up directly from the runway and brought the players to them to the club’s Ciudad Deportiva Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios training ground on the city’s outskirts. The idea was for them to drop off their bags, collect their cars, and go home to their families.

But on arrival at the training ground, at around 9.30pm local time, the players saw a crowd of around 400 people — mostly young men — had gathered outside the gates. Some wore black balaclavas, covering their faces. There were chants of “We are Sevilla” and “Death to Junior” as the bus approached. It was pelted with stones and eggs before passing through the security barrier, escorted by local police.

⚠️ Un grupo numeroso de aficionados trata de entrar en la ciudad deportiva y zarandea hasta que cede una de las vallas que da acceso a las instalaciones #SevillaFC pic.twitter.com/MefgeQMVOe

— Orgullo de Nervión (@Orgullo_Nervion) May 10, 2025

Dozens of the fans remained outside protesting, then broke through the security barrier. Supporters poured onto the campus, across the car park and headed towards the first-team building.

Private security personnel stopped them from going inside and a member of club staff is adamant that “in no moment were the players in any real danger”. But a source close to one squad member — who, like all sources quoted in this article, declined to be named to protect relationships — told The Athletic that players were in “fear and terror”.

‼️ MÁXIMA TENSIÓN EN SEVILLA.

🔥 Tras la no salida del equipo, cientos de sevillistas fuerzan la puerta de la ciudad deportiva.

📹 @GonzaloTortosa pic.twitter.com/hqQwv1N9o3

— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 10, 2025

Police in riot gear were called and eventually succeeded in pushing the supporters off the property. “Without the police, it would have been a pitched battle,” said another club source who witnessed what happened.

Given the situation, it was decided that the players would spend the night at the training ground. The recently-renovated facility includes a residential section, so they all had their own room, but “it was not a very comfortable night”, according to a voice within the squad. The team then trained as scheduled on Sunday morning, before finally getting to leave to see their loved ones and get some proper rest.

The incident shocked many at Sevilla — players and staff alike — who are already living through one of the most traumatic seasons in the team’s long history. The club released a statement “forcefully condemning” the “vandalistic attack” by “a gang of organised radicals who acted with extreme violence”.

Sevilla’s statement also said that while the violence and vandalism of Saturday night were unacceptable and should be punished, the club did “understand that the team’s sporting situation, which is not what any Sevilla fan wants, may lead to protests”.

That sporting situation is very worrying for everyone concerned.

Sevilla won a remarkable seven UEFA Cup/Europa League finals between 2006 and 2023, the Copa del Rey twice in the first decade of this century and over the past two decades have regularly finished in the upper reaches of La Liga, including seven times in the top four. But clouds have been gathering overhead in recent years. They were only 12th in 2022-23, dropped to 14th last term and have spent most of the current season in the bottom half of the table.

Off the pitch, regular institutional instability has been accompanied by growing financial problems.

The club’s 2023-24 losses were €81.8million (£68.8m/$91.82m at current exchange rates), leading La Liga to cut their official 2024-25 salary limit — which is the total amount a Spanish club can spend across their squad — to just €2.5m.

Sevilla have fallen away after winning the UEFA Cup/Europa League seven times in 18 years (Cristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images)

That meant sporting director Victor Orta, formerly of Leeds United, has had to bet on younger talents or loan signings, most of which have not worked out as hoped.

Much of the anger in the fans’ protests has been directed at club president Del Nido Jr, who assumed the position in December 2023 with the backing of the majority of the local families who control the club.

Meanwhile, Jose Maria Del Nido Senior, who was president from 2002 to 2013, has been on the outside, trying to regain control from his son. In February last year, Del Nido Jr spoke with The Athletic about the difficult situation. “I had to choose between keeping my word, and keeping my dignity, or having a father,” he said.

During all this instability, Sevilla have continually cycled through head coaches — there have been 13 permanent or interim appointments since Unai Emery left for Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2016.

Some progress appeared possible this season with ex-Barcelona B and Las Palmas coach Garcia Pimienta in charge. As recently as early March, a very young team were a point off seventh place and in contention for European football next season.

But another dip in form saw the team drop down the standings and angry protests return to the Sanchez Pizjuan. When Atletico Madrid visited in early April, the ‘Biris Norte’ ultras group displayed a banner calling for Del Nido Jr to resign and held up yellow pieces of cardboard (similar to those often seen at fellow La Liga sides Valencia and Valladolid, who also have unpopular team presidents). When these were then scrunched up and thrown onto the pitch, play stopped for two minutes while club staff removed them.

Nervión ha vuelto a hablar. Esta huida hacia adelante no lleva a ningún sitio y sólo ellos parecen no darse cuenta.

En la previa del partido vs Alavés organizaremos una nueva protesta a la que invitamos a unirse a todo el sevillismo. pic.twitter.com/CBC7VfC92k

— Biris Norte (@birisoficial) April 6, 2025

After Atletico’s 2-1 win that night, there were more calls for the president and the entire board to resign. Club director general Ignacio Navarro was chased by young fans outside the stadium, and had to go back inside fearing for his safety.

Ignacio Navarro, Psicólogo de Junior, salía muy sonriente escoltado por un miembro de seguridad del club, a pesar de la derrota y se tuvo que meter de nuevo en el Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.#SevillaFC #LaLiga #Sevillahoy #SevillaAtleti pic.twitter.com/NXQM3Rok5P

— Javisfc.com (@blogjavisfc) April 6, 2025

Garcia Pimienta was sacked a week later, after another loss at Valencia made it four losses in a row, with the veteran coach Joaquin Caparros appointed on a short-term deal for the rest of the season.

The hope was that 69-year-old Caparros (who has managed Sevilla three times before, overseeing their most recent La Liga promotion in 2001 and having caretaker spells in the springs of 2018 and 2019) would bring some positivity and unity among supporters and calm the situation. But performances have not improved — just two points from his first four games in charge instead deepened the anger and despair among supporters.

“The fans are completely burned out,” says a club source. “The powerful Sevilla is no more. Saturday was an explosion of all that.”

The abuse has been particularly vicious online, where different fans’ groups and social-media accounts have competed to be the most outraged. After Saturday’s defeat at Vigo, various posters online encouraged the unruly crowd who turned up at the training ground that night.

Club sources say that various employees and directors, including the president, have received “death threats” online. Personal phone numbers and addresses have also been made public via social media, leading directors including Del Nido Jr to have private security at their houses.

Del Nido Junior (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Last night’s game at home to second-bottom Las Palmas was declared high-risk by the authorities, meaning more police and security than usual were present in and around the stadium. Del Nido Jr did not ride into the ground on the team’s bus as he usually does, instead being accompanied there from his home by private security. Del Nido Sr was also present in the VIP box, where there was “terrible” tension, according to a source who experienced it.

There was a real fear among players and executives about what could happen were fifth-bottom Sevilla to lose. That was the crucial game for their survival chances, given the final two fixtures are at home to second-placed Real Madrid this Sunday and away against Champions League-chasing Villarreal a week later. Given the club’s financial situation, dropping down to the second division would be a crushing blow.

The fans were aware of what was at stake and word circulated online to hold off on more protests pre-match and instead concentrate on supporting the players. That led to a nervous mood in the stadium, but the crowd of just over 37,000 cheered as the home team huddled near the halfway line just before kick-off.

Caparros’ side did not play well, but neither did Las Palmas, who have their own deep issues with form and confidence. The key moment came early in the second half, when Suso’s free kick was nodded back across goal by Lucien Agoume, and Garcia Pascual steered his header inside the post.

Garcia Pascual is Andalusian but an unlikely hero, given he was playing for Marshall University in the United States before joining Sevilla’s third-team last summer.

Marshall Men’s Soccer Alum, Álvaro García Pascual, scored his first @LaLiga goal for @SevillaFC, which was the match winning goal in a 1-0 win over Las Palmas! 🤩👏#WeAreMarshall pic.twitter.com/0Jlxz0Z0tr

— Marshall University Men’s Soccer (@HerdMSoccer) May 13, 2025

Las Palmas dominated after that and had more shots and more possession over the game. Sevilla were also fortunate an apparent late equaliser by Scotland striker Oli McBurnie was disallowed by referee Juan Martinez Munuera for a foul on goalkeeper Orjan Nyland moments before.

The tension was prolonged through 13 minutes of added time, which featured several flare-ups between two sets of incredibly nervous players, before Martinez Munuera eventually blew the final whistle, to Sevilla’s great relief. The result moves them seven points clear of the relegation places, almost certainly securing safety.

“The only thing that was important last night was to win,” said a club source. Another person close to a senior player said, “They’ve been through a really bad time, but it was terrific at the end.”

For many at the club, it was only a temporary reprieve. No end is in sight to Sevilla’s far-reaching problems.

Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio and France defender Loic Bade are likely to be sold in the summer, and former Liverpool and Milan playmaker Suso admitted in his post-game TV interview that he will leave when his contract expires next month.

There is also no easy solution to the club’s institutional issues. Many around the city would like a new owner to buy out all the families and start with a completely clean slate. But even if such a buyer can be found, getting agreement — including between the Del Nidos — does not look easy, given all the emotions involved.

“I’ve never experienced a situation as tough and difficult in all my time here,” says one long-serving staff member.

The concerning thing for everyone at Sevilla is, even if last night’s victory does appear to have avoided the disaster that relegation this season would be for them, there is no sign of the drama and tension being over any time soon.

(Top photo: Garcia Pascual celebrates his goal against Las Palmas; DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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