Sevilla suffered a frustrating defeat on Sunday afternoon, letting numerous chances go to waste while they were 1-0 up against fellow strugglers Celta Vigo. A late comeback from Claudio Giraldez’s side have dragged Sevilla closer to the mire though, and manager Quique Sanchez Flores is under pressure following a heated exchange with star forward Youssef En-Nesyri.
The Moroccan had scored the opener, but was brought off on the hour-mark for pacy forward Dodi Lukebakio. After kicking a water bottle, Sanchez Flores recriminated En-Nesyri, and the imposing forward did not back down, shouting his frustration at his coach, before being calmed on the bench by his teammates.
😡 ¡Se encaran @ennesyri9 y Quique Sánchez Flores tras el cambio del delantero!
🔥 Momento de mucha tensión en el banquillo sevillista
📺 #LaLigaEnGol pic.twitter.com/Yz7RPgaC3f
— GOL PLAY (@Gol) March 17, 2024
After the match, Sanchez Flores told the press that he ‘can’t allow that type of behaviour’.
“Every player has an equal right to play, and teammates have to respect each other, and so I had to intervene.”
En-Nesyri played down the incident to Marca, putting it down to the ‘tension of the match.’
“He knows that I always want to help my team. Since we were 1-0 up, I didn’t want to go off. I was focused on scoring the second and leaving the team in a good position. These are things that always happen.”
“We have to forget what happened today with the game and prepare for the next games, win them and leave everything calm. May our fans stay calm and happy for the games we win.”
Despite that incident seemingly being put to bed, Sanchez Flores is still not sitting comfortably. Diario AS claim that Sevilla are increasingly convinced that their time with the current coach will have run its course at the end of the season. The club were not convinced by his strategy against Celta and Almeria over the past two games, from which they picked up just a point. In both games he stuck with three at the back in spite of their relatively strength.
In addition to his tactics and his heated argument with En-Nesyri, the consistent neglect for the resources that Sporting Director Victor Orta has given him has also caused disquiet. On-loan forward Alejo Veliz was a healthy scratch against Celta, while Hannibal Mejbri continues to see little game time.
Sanchez Flores’ contract expires in the summer, but it will be extended if Sevilla finish in the top half – currently they sit 16th, six points ahead of Cadiz in the relegation zone, and ten points from Getafe in 10th.
The ex-Valencia and Atletico Madrid manager has steadied the ship at Sevilla, and it looked as if they were picking up form, following good performances against Atletico and Real Madrid. Yet Sevilla continue to perform below expectations relative to their squad. That has been the case for going on two years now though, and the instabilty as much as anything is one of their biggest problems.
