Manchester City face Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday and Pep Guardiola was full of praise for his counterpart.
Sevilla FC coach José Luis Mendilibar is best known for keeping Eibar in La Liga for six consecutive years despite his meager means, until he took charge of Andalusia. Joining Sevilla, he turned around a struggling team and led them to victory in the Europa League.
Guardiola told UEFA.com that Mendilibar always left his mark on his teams.
“I know him for having worked with him in Barcelona. He changed things at Sevilla in no time. When you see a Mendilibar team playing, you immediately recognize their influence. They go forward quickly, use the wings, make a lot of crosses and enter the box well.
Overall, he was as impressed with Sevilla’s work in the Europa League as the rest of the footballing world.
“I take my hat off to what this club has done in the UEFA Europa League. It’s incredible. They know how to behave in European competitions and it will be a good Super Cup final. I’m delighted to face Sevilla and see Mendilibar again after so long.”.
Sevilla won their seventh Europa League last season, and while their Champions League run remains less than remarkable, Andalusian fans are no doubt perfectly happy with the way things have gone. The challenge for Mendilibar will be to bring Sevilla back to the top four, after a disastrous La Liga campaign, at least until his arrival.
