A guide to final host city Seville
Tomorrow it’s time for the Europa League Final in Seville. The city in the south of Spain will be flooded with fans of Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers FC, both known for their massive away support. A largely estimated number of 100.000 fans will travel to Seville, with just a minority of them with an actual ticket for the stadium. For these fans, we put together a quick guide to Seville: what are the things you absolutely can’t miss in this beautiful football city?
Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán
The final will be played in the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán of Sevilla CF. A lovely football ground, but with just under 44.000 seats way too small to host all the fans of both teams. But also if you don’t have a ticket, it’s worth the effort to take a look around te stadium. Big eye-catcher is the giant mosaic above the main entrance, with pennants of loads of clubs who ever played a game at Sánchez-Pizjuán. The piece of art is flanked by some of the greatest players who ever wore the Sevilla jersey. Walk around the stadium and you’ll find two famous players of the club’s history as well: Pedro Berruezo and Antonio Puerta, who both tragically died as players of Sevilla. The gate (remarkably ‘puerta’ in Spanish) with the number of the players has been decorated with a giant portrait of both players.
Bars around the stadium
Sánchez-Pizjuán is located in a lively area of Seville, Nervión. Before and after matches in the stadium, the bars surrounding the ground are filled with football fans enjoying food and drinks. Behind the Gold Nord stand you’ll find La Andaluza, a bar where you can see some amazing pictures of the history of the local club. At the other side of the stadium there’s Peña Sevillista Al Relente, a real fan cafe in the style of Sevilla CF.
Estadio Benito Villamarín
In the south of the city, in the area Heliópolis, you’ll find the home of Sevilla’s arch rivals, Real Betis Balompié. The Estadio Benito Villamarín is the largest stadium in town, with just over 60.000 seats. In recent years, it has been renovated and completed with three tiers surrounding the pitch. Betis was in the race for a final spot in their own city as well, but of all teams Eintracht Frankfurt blocked their way to Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Estadio de la Cartuja
The least-known stadium of Seville, although it’s quite a big one, the Estadio de la Cartuja with 57.000 seats. It’s all due to not having a regular home team, a lack of atmosphere and the large distance from the city centre. The plans were big, the stadium had to host the Olympics and Betis or Sevilla should have moved there, but it never came that far. Instead, a the UEFA Cup Final of 2003 (FC Porto – Celtic) was played in La Cartuja and it was a host stadium for EURO 2020 as well. These days, the area will be the fan zone for Rangers fans who don’t have a ticket, they can watch the final here. if they don’t have a ticket.
Sightseeing in Seville
Obviously, football is our main object here, but you’re selling yourself short if you don’t take a least a quick cultural tour in Seville, arguably the most beautiful city of Spain. A visit tot he Royal Palace (the Alcázar) and the cathedral (with the famous Giralda tower) can be combined easily, since they’re right next to each other. Avoid the lines by ordering your tickets online. And don’t forget the Plaza de España, according to many the most beautiful square of Spain.
Food and drinks
For good tapas, there’s hardly a better place than Seville. Go to one of the numerous tapas bars in the city, for example at the Plaza Salvador, Calle Mateos Gago or Calle Betis next to the river. We recommend Bodega Santa Cruz, in the heart of the city. Don’t worry if you can’t find a table or a seat, in Seville it’s completely normal to eat and drink standing up. With the tapas, it’s best to order a local Cruzcampo beer or, just as the Sevillians do, a glass of sherry.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency, SANTOS
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