How do you solve a problem like Sevilla FC?
Well, the first thing you do is to get a new manager in- and former AEK Athens head coach Matias Almeyda is the man who has accepted the responsibility on his shoulders.
The 51-year-old Argentine takes over a club which narrowly avoided relegation last season, and that would have been a catastrophic end to a pretty dramatic decline at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.
A 17th-placed finish last term was the worst outcome at Sevilla since promotion to the La Liga Primera Division in 2002. Los Nervionenses finished in the top half for the next 20 years, with 12 top five finishes and winning two Copa del Reys, and a record seven Europa League titles with three on the bounce between 2014 and 2016.
But, after finishing fourth in 2022, the Andalusians have slid down the rankings, from 12th to 14th and finally 17th. Drop any lower and Sevilla will be playing their football in the Segunda Division.
The club moved on 16th June to appoint Almeyda as their new head coach following the departure of Xavier Garcia and, quite incredibly, he is the seventh man in the Sevilla hot seat since the departure of Julen Lopetegui less than three years ago. He has signed a three-year contract; and the first thing the Sevilla board can do to drag their club off the floor is to give the new man time and the squad some stability.
Almeyda has already showed what he can do during his time at AEK Athens. He arrived in 2022 and a year later he was given a contract extension to take him to 2028, such was his impact in the Greek capital. In his first season at AEK he delivered a domestic league and cup double for the first time since 1978, and he took the club back into Europe after three years away.
With 40 caps for Argentina as a defensive midfielder Almeyda commands respect, and he cites his former international boss Marcelo Bielsa as the biggest influence on his management and coaching style. His teams play high-intensity, attacking football, similar to Jurgen Klopp’s gegen-pressing style at Dortmund and Liverpool. And he adds in Bleisa’s ethos of courage, respect, honesty and loyalty.
Almeyda’s new team has enjoyed a decent pre-season so far, beating English Championship club Birmingham City 3-1, and then Sevilla’s pre-season friendly against Premier League new boys Sunderland, a game we previewed here at SBOTOP, was a chance to up the ante. But it took a last gasp Ruben Vargas goal to give Los Nervionenses a 1-1 draw. They returned to winning ways with a 4-2 victory against Bundesliga side FC Schalke when they looked much more fluid and confident than they did against the Black Cats.
Almeyda doesn’t have a lot of financial flexibility and, mainly, will have to get the best out of the players he has. The experienced operators Suso and Saul Niguez have already moved on while former Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj also looks to be on his way out. And in recent La Liga 2025 news it was revealed that Real Madrid are pondering a move for 25 year old centre-back Loic Bade. The 6ft 3in French star impressed last season, making 33 appearances for Sevilla, and he is part of the Andalusians’ leadership group in the dressing room.
The only incomings so far are winger Alfon Gonzalez from Celta Vigo and Chilean wingback Gabriel Suazo, both on free transfers, while Almeyda is also trying to bolster his goalkeeper options. Newcastle stopper Odysseas Vlachodimos is on the Sevilla radar after the Greek international played only 45 minutes for the Magpies last season and is currently behind Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka in the pecking order on Tyneside. That situation may change as Premier League side Burnley are considering a move for Dubravka, but Vlachodimos is certainly not a happy chap at the moment and he would be receptive to a move. Sevilla’s current first-choice keeper, Orjan Nyland, has one year left on his contract and the club is yet to talk about an extension.
The release of the 2025/26 La Liga fixtures is always an exciting time for fans but, while there will be some trepidation in Andalusia around their opening fixture, the La Liga 2025 betting odds predict a mid table finish in Almeyda’s debut campaign. On Sunday 17 August Sevilla play Athletic Bilbao away before entertaining Getafe the following week, and that is a game in which Los Nervionenses will aim to get an early win in front of their own fans.
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