Intensity and Aggression: Matías Almeyda’s Sevilla

Intensity, rhythm, and considerable pressure are the hallmarks of Matías Almeyda’s Sevilla, aimed at partly compensating for the team’s limited resources. This approach has led the Nervionense side to be characterized as an aggressive team since the beginning of the season. As they approach the winter break, they lead the league in yellow cards and were the first team this season to have a player suspended for accumulating cautions: Lucien Agoumé. Both Agoumé and José Ángel Carmona have received the highest number of yellow cards to date, each with seven.

In a press conference prior to the Copa del Rey match against Toledo in late October, Almeyda articulated that his team’s aggression is of a positive nature in the context of football. “Sevilla aims to be aggressive on the field; our aggressiveness is not about physicality. Sevilla does not engage in rough play; our fouls are more about tactical maneuvers. Many other teams may commit more fouls than we do yet receive fewer yellow cards. We want to contest every ball as if it were the last, but none of our players play with malice, so we cannot be labeled as aggressive,” he explained.

The seven yellow cards issued by referee Muñiz Ruiz in a controversial officiating performance during the recent match against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu brought Sevilla’s total to 55 yellow cards (plus a direct red shown to Isaac during the derby). This is eleven more than Rayo Vallecano, who follows with 44 yellow and three red cards, making Sevilla the team with the highest number in this category across the five major European leagues, where no team has received more than 42 yellow cards in the first half of the season.

This situation, compounded by injuries plaguing the squad, significantly hampers Almeyda’s tactical options in certain matches. It is a scenario that the team must manage when the competition resumes, and Almeyda struggles to understand the circumstances, advocating for better dialogue with referees. After being sent off at the Bernabéu, he expressed his frustration in the press room: “I was sent off for protesting a foul. I would like them to listen to the audio recordings because it is easy to dismiss people. I am not a circus clown; I have my history and I am a man who engages in dialogue. We are turning sport into something authoritative, and that pains me. They should request the audio.”

“I have never seen two penalties being awarded in two minutes. There is VAR. Today, the officiating was very poor. I congratulate Madrid on their victory; they were not advantaged by the decisions. I oppose the officiating because it was poorly managed, and that is why I was sent off. I was told they were tired of me speaking about respect. If there is any disrespect on my part, let them show it,” he insisted. As a newcomer to coaching in Spanish football, Almeyda has received three yellow cards in December, all for protesting refereeing decisions.