Sevilla sealed a historic Europa League victory on Thursday night, beating Manchester United 3-0 and 5-2 on aggregate. Few saw it coming, but for vice-captain Ivan Rakitic , it was merely the standard that Sevilla set.
Speaking to the Sevilla-based ED, Rakitic was delighted with the match, enjoying it so much that he would have welcomed a longer match.
“All of us who know Sevilla, it’s hard to say, but we know it’s just another night. This crowd have given us so much glory and joy. And if the referee had played for fifteen more minutes, that would have been welcome too.”
The Croatian stalwart went on to highlight that all of the work had paid off for Sevilla, who have been embroiled in a relegation battle for most of the season.
“It’s a victory for all of us, we’ve been through a lot during the year and we deserve it,” affirmed the Sevilla captain.
He did note that it appeared as if there was a particulr hype in Seville before the match.
“You can see the emotion of desire, of fighting… The atmosphere was noticeable. Rarely have I received so many messages before a game. It’s no coincidence. We’ve reached the semi-finals, it’s no big deal. We’re going to face Juventus, who are one of the favourites. So, let’s fight and continue doing our thing,” Rakitic added.
Rakitic himself has endured a difficult season, with some wondering if he was perhaps on a downward slide. Against Manchester United, Rakitic rolled back the years to put in a brilliant display, controlling the game.
