EUROPA LEAGUE
What is Sevilla’s record in the Europa League? How many times have they won it?
The Spanish side are the record holders of the UEFA Europa League, but how many times have they won it and what makes them so good?
Ask someone from the Spanish city of Seville what they like most about their birthplace and they might mention the Guadalquivir river that curls and glides casually through the province, giving it a sense of calm and power. They may also like to point out the fact that one of the most beautiful plazas in the entire country is located in Seville, with the largest Spanish building constructed in the 20th century, or the Royal Alcázars of Seville, which have been a World Heritage Site since the 1980s.
However, the most likely answer to the question, if you hit on someone from the correct side of town, is that their most astounding achievement is not the unique architecture, history or food, but the silver trophies proudly on display at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Sevilla FC have a special relationship with the Europa League, and the club itself has proven to be almost unstoppable in this competition in the modern era, taking down some of the continent’s most historic teams along the way.
How many times have Sevilla won the Europa League?
Sevilla have won the Europa League a record 6 times. The closest teams to catching up to them are Atlético Madrid, Inter and Liverpool, who have all won the competition three times each. The last time Sevilla won the trophy was in 2020, where they beat Inter 3-2 in Cologne, thanks to goals from Luuk De Jong, as well as a late won goal from Romelu Lukaku.
The year 2006 was the first time Sevilla won the trophy, beating Middlesbrough 4-0 in the final in Eindhoven. They beat Lokomotiv Moscow, Lille, Zenit St Petersburg and Schalke in the knockout rounds to get to the last round and goals from Luis Fabiano, Kanouté and a double from Maresca sealed their first win.
The following season, Sevilla came second in the group, losing out on first place to AZ Alkmaar, before going on to beat Steaua București, Shakhtar Donetsk, Spurs and Osasuna, before coming out on top in an all-Spanish final against Espanyol. The game went to extra-time and penalties before Antonio Puerta put the winning strike past Gorka Iraizoz in Glasgow.
Sevilla’s Europa League three-peat
The Andalucian club had to wait seven years for their next triumph, but they did it in style, beating Maribor, Porto and Valencia in the knockout rounds, as well as a derby tie against Real Betis along the way. In the final, they came up against Benfica, and the game, like in 2007, went to penalties, with Kévin Gameiro scoring the winner.
Here began their run of 3 Europa League titles in 3 seasons: the following year they beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to win a record fourth title, surpassing the aforementioned teams, taking on Borussia Mönchengladbach, Zenit, Fiorentina and Villarreal to make it to the final.
Sevilla’s recent run in the Europa League
The year later was another astonishing run that saw Sevilla take the trophy and round off a hat-trick of titles in three years. They beat Molde, Athletic Bilbao, Basel, Shakhtar Donetsk and even Liverpool (1-3) in the final. This win sealed their fifth Europa League trophy and confirmed their famous reputation as the team to beat in the competition.
Sevilla’s most recent Europa League win - I know, it feels like the list never ends - came in 2020, when Cluj, AS Roma, Wolves and Manchester United were all put to the sword before defeating Inter.
Roma and José Mourinho stand in the way of another Europa League triumph
A seventh title has looked unlikely at different points of the 2022/23 season. From the general incompetence that saw them spend time in the LaLiga relegation zone which led to the sacking of Jorge Sampaoli, to being 2-0 down to Manchester United after 84 minutes of the first leg of the quarter-finals (they scored five times in the remaining 96 minutes of the tie).
But as another Europa League final comes around, Sevilla, having enjoyed a significant upturn in form under José Luis Mendilibar, are there, as they almost always are. Fate would suggest Roma should have little hope but then the Italians have European specialist José Mourinho in the dugout. Something’s got to give in Budapest.
