A Club In Turmoil: Fan Unrest, Protests and The Fight For Survival

A Club In Turmoil: Fan Unrest, Protests and The Fight For Survival

La Liga. A league typically controlled by the giant duo in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Athletic Madrid offer the league glue – pieces together the teams that compete with Europe, alongside the two title challengers. But for the rest of the division, the landscape of Spanish football is tough.

Teams have been losing money, and those who typically competed in the UEFA Champions League or the Europa League are now struggling. Valencia, a stereotypical force and top team in La Liga, currently sit in 11th spot, with Real Sociedad also sitting one place behind in 12th.

However, the team that are in the deepest hole and are in complete turmoil is Sevilla. Serial Europa League winners under Julen Lopetegui in recent years, Sevilla, find themselves in 14th place in the La Liga table.

But after such a disappointing season, what has gone wrong at Sevilla?

On-Field Performance

Despite retaining talented players such as Dodi Lukebakio, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Loic Bade, this season has been nothing short of an embarrassment for Sevilla, on and off the pitch. But starting with their struggles on the field, the Spanish side experienced an abundance of change in the summer window.

With Sevilla, typically a solid, familiar and experienced squad – Garcia Pimienta decided that this summer would be the one of change for the club – former top goal-scorer Youssef En-Nesyri leaving for Fenerbahce, Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel moving to River Plate, and the well-travelled trio of Jesus Navas, Lucas Ocampos, and Thomas Delaney all becoming free agents. The club’s core and foundations had been ripped apart, but now the significant and decisive task would be to replace them.

🔴⚪️ Sevilla are set to seal Kelechi Iheanacho deal on two year contract… and then, Lucien Agoumé next.

Nigerian striker set for medical while Inter and Sevilla are finalizing the agreement for Agoumé, almost there. pic.twitter.com/3sZPLovejT

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 30, 2024

Sevilla’s summer addition since, have not quite gone to plan. Incoming would be: Kelechi Iheanacho, Lucien Agoume, Valentin Barco, Ruben Vargas, and Saul Niguez (on loan), to name a few. While the midfield signings of Lokonga and Saul have on face value been solid additions, the Spanish club have struggled throughout the season.

Sat in 14th, 2024/25 has been a nightmare season for all involved at the club. Winning their first game in the La Liga season after five matches, through September and October, Sevilla were on a good run of form, winning four matches, drawing once, and losing once. December would be yet another solid month. However, following a catastrophic run beginning in March, the club spiralled down the table. Sevilla went eight games without a win, losing six of those games within the run. Everything had gone run, and Pimienta could not retain his job as he would be sacked and replaced by Joaquin Caparros, who returned as head coach on April 13, 2025, for his fourth spell at the club.

Violent Fan Protest

Along with their issues on the pitch, Sevilla have also been experiencing significant unrest and issues off the pitch this season. Due to their poor form, the club’s ultra group, Biris Norte, have taken it upon themselves to voice their opinions towards the club. Taking influence from the demonstrations of Manchester United supporters, the ultras used yellow banners with messages that targeted club president Jose Maria del Nido Carrasco, asking him to depart the club. Additionally, the team’s sporting director, Victor Orta, has also faced criticism for his signings and manager appointments.

On Saturday, a group of Sevilla fans broke into their training ground in protest at poor results, forcing players to spend the night there in "fear and terror".

On Tuesday, Sevilla secured their first home win in any competition for six months to virtually save them from… pic.twitter.com/jWtZBhUM9G

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 14, 2025

However, as the club’s situation continues to worsen, the fans’ protest became violent. Following a 3-2 defeat to Celta Vigo on May 10, a reported 100 fans gathered around Sevilla’s Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios training facility, with the fans screaming insults and attempting to break into the premises. Players and staff at the club were advised to stay inside the training ground for their safety. These fans did not listen, continuing to protest, causing Sevilla’s players and staff to have to sleep overnight at the training ground. Nevertheless, the Spanish club responded to the protest by condemning the events as ‘organised vandalism’, and by announcing their intentions to pursue legal actions against all of those who were involved.

Conclusion

In summary, Sevilla have endured a torrid and turbulent season, but their most recent victories against Las Palmas have provided a short lifeline for the higher-ups at the club. In the upcoming seasons, the Spanish side now faces the task of rebuilding and addressing internal issues to restore its former stature. Their on-pitch form needs to improve, while they also need to repair the club’s relationship with the fans, as it could be several years until we see Sevilla near the top of the La Liga table again.