Neal Maupay Joins Sevilla: A New Chapter in French Football Tradition

Neal Maupay’s recent transfer to Sevilla FC represents a significant addition to the club’s rich tradition, particularly in the 21st century. The forward, who has joined on loan from Olympique de Marseille, becomes the 27th French player to don the iconic white and red jersey. Argentina remains the only nation that has supplied more players to the club throughout its history, with 42 representatives. Interestingly, Maupay shares a familial connection to Argentina through his mother.

The first French player in Sevilla’s history, Georges Dard, also holds the distinction of being the club’s first foreign player. He joined from Olympique de Marseille in 1948, notably turning down an offer from AC Milan. However, his time with Sevilla was brief, lasting only one season. It wasn’t until nearly five decades later that more French players would grace the Sevilla lineup, starting with goalkeeper Dominique Casagrande from Nantes and defender Jean-Manuel Thétis from Montpellier, both of whom left without making a lasting impact.

In the 21st century, the first notable French acquisition was Julien Escudé, who arrived from Ajax in January 2006. His exceptional performance at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium led to him becoming one of the club’s best signings, contributing to six trophies during his six and a half seasons with Sevilla. Following his success, Monchi sought to replicate this success with players such as Abdoulay Konko from Genoa and Sébastien Squillaci from Olympique de Lyon in 2008, as well as Mouhamadou Dabo from Saint-Étienne in 2010.

Sevilla enjoyed remarkable success with French players during Unai Emery’s tenure. Key signings like Kevin Gameiro (PSG), Benoît Trémoulinas (Saint-Étienne), Timothée Kolodziejczak (Nice), Adil Rami (Milan), and Steven Nzonzi (Stoke City) were instrumental in securing three European titles. Apart from Gameiro, the rest continued under Jorge Sampaoli, who added Clément Lenglet (Nancy), Samir Nasri (Manchester City), and Wissam Ben Yedder (Toulouse), the latter becoming the fifth highest foreign scorer, only surpassed by Youssef En-Nesyri.

During Monchi’s absence from 2017 to 2019, the sporting direction aimed to maintain its French tradition, albeit with less success. Signings such as Sébastien Corchia (Lille), Lionel Carole (Galatasaray), Joris Gnagnon (Rennes), and Maxime Gonalons (Roma) were largely disappointing, with only the midfielder showing any promise hampered by injuries. Upon Monchi’s return from Roma, he reestablished connections with French talent, making a significant acquisition in Jules Koundé (Girondins de Bordeaux), who not only delivered exceptional performances but also became the highest sale in the club’s history.

In 2022, Sevilla’s ambitions under Julen Lopetegui began to falter with the signings of Anthony Martial (Manchester United) and Tanguy Nianzou (Bayern Munich), both costly and underwhelming additions that shook Monchi’s credibility. However, before concluding his second term as sporting director, Monchi redeemed himself by signing Loïc Badé (Rennes), a player who quickly became a fan favorite.

Under the stewardship of Víctor Orta, Sevilla brought in Boubakary Soumaré (Leicester City) and Lucien Agoumé (Inter Milan) on loan, with the latter being signed permanently. Additionally, Antonio Cordón added Batista Mendy, currently on loan from Trabzonspor and one of the standout acquisitions of the season.

In recent years, Sevilla has consistently turned to French football in search of talent, featuring players from various clubs, including Seydou Keita and Geoffrey Kondogbia (Lens), Romaric (Le Mans), Javier Chevantón and Rony Lopes (Monaco), Emir Spahic and Akor Adams (Montpellier), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Stade Reims), Mariano (Girondins de Bordeaux), Ibrahim Amadou (Lille), Diego Carlos (Nantes), Lucas Ocampos and Pape Gueye (Marseille), Kasper Dolberg (Nice), and Gabriel Suazo (Toulouse).

Moreover, the connection between Sevilla and Olympique de Marseille, from which Maupay hails, has grown to encompass 14 players. In addition to Georges Dard, Lucas Ocampos, and Pape Gueye, others include Jean-Manuel Thétis, Seydou Keita, Stéphane Mbia, Adil Rami, Samir Nasri, Karim Rekik, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Joaquín Correa, César Azpilicueta, and Alexis Sánchez. Given this rich history, Maupay’s signing appears to be a natural fit for Sevilla.