Sevilla FC is a Spanish organized club football sports corporation. It is based in Seville, a capital autonomous community of Andalusia, and currently plays in the First Division. It was founded on January 25, 1890, and its first president was the British Vice Consul Edward Farquharson Johnston. Subsequently, it was registered in the register of associations on October 14, 1905, and its president was José Luis Gallegos Arnosa from Jerez.
The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, owned by the club, is the stage that the team uses to play its official home games. It is located in the Nervión neighborhood and owes its name to its president of seventeen years. It has a capacity of 43,883 spectators.
It has the list of trophies that makes the team’s title most regional, national and international in Seville and in all of Andalusia. It has been the league’s champion for one season and runner-up four times; It has won five King’s Cups, six UEFA Cups (four of them as Europa League), a Spanish Super Cup, and a European Super Cup. It has played 73 seasons in the First Division and 13 in the Second. Sevilla FC is located in the sixth position in the historical classification of the Spanish Football League. It was designated by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics as the best club in the world in 2006 and 2007. It has various teams in lower categories, such as Sevilla Atlético, founded in 1950 and currently playing in the Second Division B.
In 2005 it celebrated the centenary of its founding (In 2005 the facts of 1890 were not known and the club’s founding date was considered as 1905) with a large number of social and sporting events, the centennial anthem having been amongst the most popular, the flag and logo were designed for the anniversary of the special cover of the April Fair of that year, as well as the awarding of the Medal of Andalusia. In 2019 it received the Gold Plate of the Royal Order of Sports Merit from the Higher Sports Council of Spain.
It maintains a historic rivalry with the other professional team in the city, Real Betis Balompié, which it faces in the Sevillian derby.
Table of Contents
Beginnings of Sevilla Football Club
The practice of soccer was introduced in Seville at the end of the 19th century by the city’s large British colony, made by the owners or managers of manufacturing companies based there. In 1890, taking advantage of the tradition of Burns Night, which is celebrated every January 25, a group of British and Spanish decided to find a club that compiled with the rules of Football Association, by bearing the name of the city in that the founders (Seville) resided, by indicating that the club will practice football and not rugby (Football Club) and the main positions of the club have been agreed upon and elected in the same meeting.
Club symbols
Hymns
Sevilla FC has two official anthems:
The official anthem of Sevilla FC ‘This anthem’ dates from 1983. The lyrics were written by Ángel Luis Osquiguilea de Roncales and the music was composed by Manuel Osquiguilea de Roncales.
Anthem of the centenary of Sevilla FC was composed in 2005 by the singer Javier Labandón El Arrebato on a celebratory occasion of completing 100 years of the entity. The centennial anthem became number one in the sales of Spain in the singles category and became the best-selling anthem of a football club in the entire history of Spanish football, reaching the 2nd position of the best-selling albums in 2006. On October 9, 2006, it was presented at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium with the gold record for the Centennial Anthem.
The club also consists of a hymn called “¡Aupa Sevilla!”, without official status, Composed in 1971 by Pedro Gámez Laserna and with lyrics by Manuel López Jiménez, thus being the oldest sevillista anthem that has ever been created.
Shield
Heraldically, the Sevilla Fútbol Club shield is defined as follows:
Thus, the main characteristics are:
The Swiss way. In 1921, Pablo Rodríguez Blanco designed a new shield for the club. In his creation process, he outlined two designs: One in the shape of the Swiss shield, and another in the shape of the Polish shield, which had already been adopted by teams such as the Football Club Barcelona. Finally, he opted for the Swiss, for it being more stylish.
The Three Saints
The three figures that appear in the first barracks are, from left to right, San Isidoro, San Fernando, and San Leandro. Its appearance is directly related to the shield of Seville, where the three saints have appeared since 1311.
The Initials
In the second barracks, the initials of the club are intertwined. An “s” is referred to as Seville, an “f” is referred to as football, and a “c” is referred to as a club, the name that the club coined in its foundation as Sevilla Football Club. It has been maintained until the present day due to the coincidence with the later Spanishization of the term “FootBall” to “Soccer”.
The Red And White Bars
The third barracks consist of six red bars and five white bars. There are several explanatory hypotheses for them, such as the designer’s wish for the team to adopt the red and white jersey as official clothing or to use those colors as an imitation of the famous England football teams during that time. Another version indicates that they are inspired by the banner carried by Fernando III el Santo in the conquest of Seville in 1248.
The Ball
In the center of the shield appears the official ball of the 1938 World Cup in France, the Allen model, in the original 1921 design, on the other hand, there is a ball from the late 10s or early 20s with 6 or 8 seams.
The Golden Rim
The shield is bordered in a golden-yellow color .
Flag
The definition of the Sevilla Fútbol Club flag is contained in statutes of 2015, which were a modification of the old ones and were deposited in the Register of Sports Associations and Federations, of the Higher Sports Council. Its 6th Title, Article 38th says that, among others, the following are distinctive of Sevilla FC:
The flag will be a surface of 2:3 proportions cut half in low, white on the pole and red on the wing. Thus, it will carry the club’s crest in its center, its height being two-fifths of its width.
Previously, the club has used various identifying flags. It is known that since 1913 there were already distinctive flags of the club, such as a red flag with two white crossings crossing them, 71 or a flag with a horizontal stripe in the middle dividing the colors white and red, these two colors being interchangeably up or down.
The first flag created for this purpose was found in 1913, with the inauguration of the Mercantil field. This one, presumably designed by Juan Lafita, was cut in half at the bottom, white on the shaft and three red stripes and two white on the wing. At the pole, the official club emblem. This flag has recently been rediscovered by the club, and it appears in the anteroom of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium together with the official flag and the club’s centennial flag.
During the centenary events, a flag was designed to celebrate this anniversary. This flag, known simply as the “Centennial flag”, was presented on July 1, 2005, and was an immediate success among Sevilla fans, shining in the Olympic roundabout in Seville throughout the year. This flag has a red background, and in white, in the center, you can read the word “hundred”, with a glimpse of the shape of the club’s shield in the “n”.
Infrastructure
Stadium
Sevilla FC played their matches at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, but in the first sixty-eight years of the club’s existence, they played their matches on fields located in different areas of the city. The different stadiums where the club has usually played its home games are listed below:
- Tablada Hippodrome (1890-1900)
- Field of La Trinidad (1900-1905)
- Campo del Huerto de Mariana (1905-1908)
- Campo del Prado de San Sebastián (1908-1913)
- Mercantile Field (1913-1918)
- Queen Victoria Field (1918-1928)
- Campo de Nervión (1928-1958)
- Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium (1958-present)
The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium began to be designed in 1937 when the land on which the New Nervión Stadium was to be built was purchased, but it was not until 1954 that the first steps to build it began, at which time a design competition was won by the architect Manuel Muñoz Monasterio, who had been a partner in the construction of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Its coordinates are 37 ° 23’01 “N 5 ° 58’17” O .
The stadium was originally to be called “Grand Stadium”, but when Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán died suddenly in 1956, who was president of the club at the time of his death, a member requested in a written letter that the new stadium to be named after him, a request that was accepted. Construction of the stadium ended in the summer of 1958 and it was inaugurated on September 7 of the same year, with a friendly match that Sevilla played against Real Jaén. However, the field still did not have the high stands of Fund and Preference. In 1974, under the presidency of Eugenio Montes Cabeza, it was finally closed, reaching its highest capacity at that time, with more than 70,000 spectators.
On the occasion of the 1982 World Cup, the visor, the preferred mosaic, and new lighting were built. In addition, the capacity of the field was reduced, leaving around 66,000 spectators. The last modification was in the mid-nineties, when, in compliance with FIFA regulations, all the areas where football could be seen standing had to be eliminated, the capacity of the stadium became 45,500 people. With the reforms of the 2015-2016 season, the total capacity was reduced to 43,883 people.
Currently when the major renovations started, it has a capacity for 47,074 spectators.
During the 1982 World Cup, the group stage matches between the USSR and Brazil were held, along with it, the semi-finals between West Germany and France. Subsequently, a European Cup final was also played in 1986, between Steaua de Bucarest and FC Barcelona. It has been one of the usual venues for the Spanish soccer team, which had won 19 of the 22 games played there, drawing the remaining 3 and never having suffered defeat.
In 1982, on the occasion of the World Soccer Championship, a mosaic was built on the main façade, the work of Santiago del Campo. On the occasion of the centenary in 2005, an allegorical mosaic designed by Ben Youssef was built in Gol Sur that shows the city of Seville and, above it, floating in the wind, the club’s emblem.
In September 2019, the club was elected to host the final of the 2018-19 Europa League.
Currently the club’s media headquarters houses a club-related merchandise store, a museum, and a trophy room.
Sports facilities
Main article: José Ramón Cisneros Palacios Sports City
The entity has facilities known as the “sports city”, which serves as a training ground for the first team and where the club’s lower-level teams play. These facilities came into operation in 1974. The site is located on the outskirts of the city, on the Utrera highway. It has, among other things, four natural grass fields, three artificial turf playing fields for soccer and football, and an artificial grass field for the Antonio Puerta Soccer School; changing rooms, gym, press room, cafeteria, medical center, and recovery room.
Club data
Denominations
Currently, the Sevilla club is known as “Sevilla Fútbol Club, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva”, but it has had slight variations throughout its history. The different denominations that the club has had are listed below:
- Sevilla Football Club : (1890-1941) Original name.
- Sevilla Club de Fútbol : (1941-75) After the Decree of December 20, 1940, all companies with foreign names had to be Spanish.
- Sevilla Fútbol Club : (1975-92) Return of the original name with slight variations, after the repeal of the previous Decree in 1972 and after voting by the partners.
- Sevilla Fútbol Club, SAD : (Since 1992) Conversion of the entity into a Sports Limited Company (SAD).
Association agreements
Sevilla-Betis Regatta (2009) on the Guadalquivir River .
In the 2004/05 season, at the request of the Centennial Foundation, a small team of psychologists was formed who launched the program entitled “Get the Game Out of School.” The objective of this program is to promote a formative vision of sport, with the aim of making sports practices compatible with studies that children and young people are doing at all times. The Junta de Andalucía has awarded this initiative with the Fair Play award.
In the sports section, there is an entity called Sevilla Fútbol Club Puerto Rico of the Puerto Rico Soccer League, the highest category of soccer in the country, which, after a collaboration agreement with the Seville club, shares the same colors and shield with its Spanish namesake.
In order to expand the image of the club, it joined the Superleague Formula, an automobile competition, created in 2008, which has 18 formula cars that compete wearing the colors of the most important football clubs in the world. This competition made it possible to reach a greater number of fans through the races that take place all over the world. Sevilla FC and Atlético de Madrid are the only Spanish teams that are part of this competition.
Another modality is that of the Sevilla-Betis regatta, an annual rowing competition held in the waters of the Guadalquivir River on its way through Seville. This regatta began to be held in 1960 and until (2013) 47 editions have been disputed. The boats, 8+ of veterans, senior female, and senior male and youth, are made up of the best rowers of the city’s sports clubs where rowing is done (Real Círculo Labradores, Club Náutico Sevilla, Club de Remo Guadalquivir’86, and Club de Remo Ciudad de Sevilla) selected by the respective captains of which one represents Sevilla FC and the other Real Betis Balompié. In the 47 races held until 2013, the sevillista boat has won 30 times, and the boat bética.
Honors
Exquisite-kfind.png For more details, consult the Seville Fútbol Club’s honors
Throughout history, the Club has achieved several international, national, and regional titles that have made it the best club in Andalusia, and one of the best football clubs in Spain, being the sixth club in the historical classification of the league. Its recent European wins have allowed it to be one of the most successful clubs in continental football, having earned the privilege of being considered a franchise club in Europe and one of the greats on the continent. 83 Sevilla Fútbol Club has won titles from a regional competition: the Andalusian Cup (18), from three national competitions: League (1), Cup (5) and Super Cup (1), from two continental competitions: Europa League (6) and European Super Cup (1). In total, there are 31 titles: 18 regional, 7 national, and 7 international.
Currently the entity occupies the number 8 position in the UEFA ranking with 102,000 points.
Sports organization
Players
More than 1000 footballers have worn the Seville Fútbol Club first team jersey throughout its more than 130 years of history. Players of foreign origin have always had a great weight in the history of the club, and have marked the most brilliant times of the Sevilla team. Founded by a group of foreigners living in Seville, initially, the team consisted of players mostly of English and Scottish origin. In addition, the club has had players with other great international distinctions such as Rinat Dassaev, Diego Maradona, Davor Šuker, or the Golden Boot and Silver Boot, in the Seville club, Anton Polster.
Other outstanding players of the Seville entity are: José María Busto , Paco Buyo , Andrés Palop , Paso and Juan Carlos Unzué (goalkeepers); Antonio Valero , Marcelo Campanal , Paco Gallego , Antonio Álvarez , Pablo Blanco , Manolo Jiménez , Francisco Sanjosé , Dani Alves , Antonio Puerta , Javi Navarro and Pablo Alfaro (defenders); Pedro Alconero , Ignacio Achúcarro , Enrique Lora ,Francisco López , Jesús Navas , Héctor Scotta , Renato Dirnei , José Antonio Reyes , Rafa Paz , Enrique Montero , Ramoní Martínez , Ivan Rakitić , Carlos Gomes Pintinho , Enzo Maresca and Diego Maradona (midfielders); and Juan Armet Kinké , Juan Arza , Enrique Gómez Spencer , Baby Acosta , Juan Araujo , López, Raimundo, Pepillo García ,Guillermo Campanal , Bilba Torrontegui , Rafael Berrocal , Ramón Vázquez , Alhaji Momodo Biri Biri , Anton Polster , Frédéric Kanouté , Davor Šuker , Luís Fabiano and Carlos Bacca (forwards).
In addition, it has contributed to the Spanish team, several players throughout its history, starting with Spencer in 1922 and passing through Jesús Navas, who was part of the team that was proclaimed world champion in 2010, Andrés Palop and Álvaro Negredo champions of Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 respectively. It has also brought renowned players to teams of other countries.