BARCELONA (AFP) – New Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar kicks off his bid to save the club from relegation with a crucial Andalusian derby at Cadiz today in La Liga.
Mendilibar is the third coach Sevilla have had this season, after they sacked Julen Lopetegui in October and then dismissed his successor Jorge Sampaoli last week.
The latter coach led Sevilla into the Europa League last eight where they will face Premier League giants Manchester United, but the worrying La Liga situation led to his dismissal, after a 2-0 defeat by Getafe before the international break.
Sevilla are 14th, just two points above the relegation zone, level on 28 points from 26 games with their opponents Cadiz, 15th.
Mendilibar had a successful spell at minnows Eibar in La Liga between 2015 and 2021, although he took them down in his last season at the club.
The 62-year-old had a less enjoyable time at Alaves, where he was sacked in 2022 after four months at the helm with the team bottom of La Liga.
His appointment at Sevilla has drawn criticism from some quarters, including from the club’s former sporting director Oscar Arias.
“Mendilibar is not the right coach for a squad like Sevilla’s,” Arias told Radio Marca.
“The players don’t know how to take on these kind of games, they have a lot of doubts, and it’s a delicate situation.”
The record six-time Europa League winners have not had to worry about the threat of relegation for many years.
Sevilla dropped to the second division in 2000 and returned the following year, remaining in La Liga since then.
