Sevilla's Last Six Europa League Triumphs

Sevilla have done it again. They were crowned champions of the UEFA Europa League for a record-extending seventh time after defeating Jose Mourinho's AS Roma 4-1 on penalties after the game finished 1-1 after extra time at the Puska Arena in Budapest on May 31st. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring for Roma in the 34th minute before an own goal from Gianluca Mancini levelled the score. In a combative final, referee Anthony Taylor dished out fourteen yellow cards in the match, the most in a Europa League game. Argentine defender Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty to give Sevilla the title and qualify for next year's Champions League. Sevilla, since 2000, has dominated Europe's second premier competition, winning it seven times in seven finals. Here is a rewind of Sevilla's six Europa League triumphs.

SEVILLA 3-2 INTER MILAN (2020)

Before their win on Wednesday night, Sevilla last won the competition in 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic. Starting from the beginning of the competition, they comfortably topped their group, which included APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus, Qarabag of Azerbaijan and F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg. They beat Romanian side CFR Cluj on away goals in the round of 32 before the campaign was suspended. As the campaign resumed in August, the knockout ties were played in Germany, specifically in Gelsenkirchen, Dusseldorf, Duisburg and Cologne, where the final will be staged.

In their run-in to the final, they only conceded a single goal from the last 16 to the semifinals. Beating AS Roma 2-0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 and Manchester United 2-1. Facing Italian giants Inter Milan in the final at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, who had Antonio Conte as manager, with Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella and Diego Godin in the starting line-up, the Andalusian club won 3-2, with Lukaku scoring an own-goal for the winner. Four members of the starting line-up for Sevilla in 2020 started the final on Wednesday night, including captain Jesus Navas, goalkeeper Bounou and Argentine forward Lucas Ocampos. It was also the last game for midfielder Ever Banega, having played 238 times for Sevilla.

LIVERPOOL 1-3 SEVILLA (2016)

Sevilla's win in 2016 was a special one, winning the title three years in a row, becoming the first team to achieve that feat in the competition's history. In the final season of the Unai Emery era, Sevilla started their season in the Champions League after UEFA awarded a Champions League place for the Europa League winners after the 2014/15 season. They finished third in their group with six points, behind Manchester City and Juventus, moving to the Europa League knockouts. 

In the knockout stages of the Europa League, they faced Norwegian side Molde in the round of 32, winning 3-1 on aggregate. They comfortably beat Swiss side FC Basel 3-0 over two legs in the last 16 before facing fellow La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao in the quarterfinals. Winning the first leg away 2-1, Bilbao won the second leg 2-1, forcing extra time. With no winner after, the game was decided on penalties, and Sevilla won 5-4, with French striker Kevin Gameiro scoring the winning spot-kick. Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk was their opponent in the last four, and they won 5-3 on aggregate, with a decisive 3-1 home win in the second leg.

Facing Liverpool in the final at the St. Jakob Park in Basel, who had Jurgen Klopp as manager, Sevilla came back from a goal down to win the game 3-1 as Spanish full-back Coke scored twice in the second half, as Sevilla created history in achieving a European three-peat.

DNIPRO DNIPROPETROVSK 2-3 SEVILLA (2015)

2015 was the year Sevilla became the most successful team in the history of the Europa League/UEFA Cup, with Liverpool, Juventus and Inter Milan being the joint-most successful teams with three titles each. Going straight into the group stage, Sevilla finished second behind Dutch side Feyenoord in their group. 

In the round of 32, they faced German side Borussia Monchengladbach and won 4-2 on aggregate, plus winning 3-2 in Germany. Encountering Villarreal in the last 16, Sevilla won both games, winning the tie 5-2 on aggregate. In the quarters, they faced Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg. Winning the first leg 2-1 at home, Sevilla was losing in the second half 2-1, which could force extra time before Gameiro scored late to take Sevilla to the semifinals. They comfortably dispatched Italian side Fiorentina 5-0 on aggregate to play in the final against Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

Led by Banega and Colombian striker Carlos Bacca, who scored seven times in the competition, Sevilla triumphed over Dnipro in a close encounter at the National Stadium in Warsaw. Winning 3-2 with Bacca scoring twice, including the winning goal. Unai Emery also became the fifth manager to win the Europa League twice after Rafa Benitez, Juande Ramos, Luis Molowny and Giovanni Trapattoni.

SEVILLA 0-0 BENFICA (SEVILLA WON 4-2 ON PENALTIES) (2014)

This was their first European campaign under Emery and the start of Sevilla's domination of the competition since it was rebranded as the Europa League from the formerly UEFA Cup. Their journey started early, playing in the qualifying rounds before qualifying for the group stages. They topped their group unbeaten, ahead of Portuguese side Estoril, Czech side Slovan Liberec and German outfit Freiburg. 

In the round of 32, they faced Slovenian side Maribor and won 4-3 on aggregate. They battled with fellow Spanish side Real Betis in the last 16 and prevailed 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate tie. They faced their toughest test in Portuguese giants FC Porto in the quarters. However, Sevilla won 4-2 on aggregate with an emphatic 4-1 win at home. They met Spanish opposition again in Valencia in the semifinals, and they won through the skin of their teeth, drawing the tie 3-3 but winning through the away goals rule as defensive midfielder Stephane Mbia scored the crucial away goal in the second leg, deep in added time. 

Facing Portuguese side Benfica in the Final at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, it was scoreless over the ninety minutes and extra time, forcing the game to go to penalties. Oscar Cardozo and Rodrygo missed their spot kicks, and Sevilla prevailed, with Gameiro scoring the winning penalties. It was the final game for captain Ivan Rakitic, who departed for Barcelona before returning to Sevilla in 2020.

ESPANYOL 2-2 SEVILLA (SEVILLA WON 3-1 ON PENALTIES) (2007)

Now in the period when the competition was known as the UEFA Cup, Sevilla retained the title, becoming the first team since Real Madrid to successfully achieve that feat. Under Juande Ramos, Sevilla was making waves domestically, winning the Copa del Rey that year and in Europe, with Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano as their attacking duo and having a young Jesus Navas and Dani Alves.

Making it through the qualifying rounds, they made it to the group stage, where they finished second in their group behind Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. They beat Romanian side Steaua Bucuresti in the first Knockout Round before facing Shakhtar in the last 16. Prevailing 5-4 on aggregate after winning the second leg 3-2 after extra time. They faced English side Tottenham Hotspur in the quarters and won 4-3 on aggregate. In the semifinals, they faced fellow Spanish side Osasuna and won 2-1 on aggregate, winning the second leg 2-0 at home. 

In the Final, which was staged at Hampden Park in Glasgow, they faced Spanish side Espanyol and the game went to penalties after a 1-1 draw in ninety minutes and a 2-2 draw after extra time. Espanyol could not match Sevilla in the shootout. Missing three of their four penalties, Antonio Puerta scored the winning penalty for the Andalusian club. Unfortunately, Puerta passed away in August of that year after collapsing in a league game against Getafe. He was only 22 years old. His jersey number 16 was retired before Navas took the number in 2017. 

MIDDLESBOROUGH 0-4 SEVILLA (2006)

Nothing beats winning the first time. That's how Sevilla felt winning their first European title back in 2006. Starting their journey through the qualifiers, thus making it to the group stage, Sevilla qualified for the knockouts in a group that contained Turkish side Besiktas, Zenit and English outfit Bolton Wanderers. 

They encountered Lokomotiv Moscow at the beginning of the knockouts and won 3-0 on aggregate before beating French side Lille 2-1 on aggregate in the last 16. They met Zenit again in the quarterfinals and took care of business, winning 5-2 on aggregate, winning 4-1 at home in the first leg. In the semifinals, German giants Schalke were in their way, and it was a close encounter, from a goalless draw in the first leg to going into extra time in the second leg, where Sevilla won 1-0 with Puerta scoring the decisive goal. 

In the Final at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, they faced Middlesborough, who had a crazy road to the final, making consecutive comebacks against Basel and Steaua Bucuresti in the knockouts. However, the English side could not mount another comeback as Sevilla dispatched them 4-0, with Luis Fabiano scoring a brace.