Seville had a hard time waking up to receive the Spanish team. Too much football hangover after a very intense season in one of the cities that lives this sport with the most passion. The Andalusian capital had experienced the success of Betis, Copa del Rey champion after winning a final held precisely in Seville, its two teams have been fighting until the end for European places and were saturated with 180,000 fans, between Germans from Frankfurt and Scots from Glasgow, which flooded the city of Seville in the final of the Europa League.
But there was football to see and the national team is always an important incentive. Even more so if he plays a great match like the Iberian derby against a great Portugal. It seemed that it did not matter if the Red had already played the first phase of the European Championship last season in the Andalusian capital. The selection always shoots and returned to twin a city divided by football that ended up approaching Benito Villmarín.
But during the day, in the ‘fan zone’ located in the center, next to the town hall, the atmosphere was already relative. “It is that there has been a lack of promotion for this match,” some fans complained. Despite this, on the terraces of the center some flags and shirts of the Red were beginning to be seen. Also to Portuguese fans, who due to their proximity were encouraged to accompany the Portuguese in a reasonably comfortable trip.
The pace of ticket sales also picked up towards the end, as the game approached, but not enough to fill the Benito Villamarín. But those who came wanted to see the new team, in which people from home stood out. Like Gavi, a Barça youth squad but also from Betis, who played for the first time at home at Benito Villamarín. The Barça midfielder was one of the most acclaimed at the Verdiblanco stadium. They missed seeing Ansu Fati, one of the most acclaimed on arrival at the concentration hotel. A footballer who also came to Barcelona as a youngster, in this case from Sevilla.
Beyond the youngsters, the fans turned to the team from the previous one with the arrival of the team in a red-and-white tide that filled Iguazú Street, cut off so that the bus could enter. But later on the field, a lot of green, especially in the grandstand area and in general. Almost as much as red, despite the fact that Spanish flags were distributed to cheer on Luis Enrique’s team. Of course, those who were there gave themselves to the team, but Ricardo Horta deprived them of the final prize.
