Sevilla, struggling against relegation, are in disarray. Can Sergio Ramos assist in their recovery?

It comes as no surprise that Sevilla is now in search of their 15th head coach in less than a decade. This is a troubling and embarrassing record for a club that has previously enjoyed significant success in LaLiga.

The current state of a club that has secured seven major European titles in the last twenty years is truly dire: facing relegation, marred by internal conflicts, plagued by mismanagement, and enduring hostility from fans.

Whether it is Luis García Plaza, as the bookmakers suggest, who will step in as the new head coach or someone else, it will be a challenging task for anyone trying to navigate Sevilla through their remaining nine LaLiga matches to escape their precarious position—just three points above what would be their first relegation in 25 years.

It is evident that Sergio Ramos will not be taking the reins as head coach.

However, Sevilla’s frustrated and anxious fans—among the most passionate and demanding globally—might be inclined to forgive their former star and hope he returns to lead the club as soon as it is commercially viable.

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Ramos, a local native, was destined to become Sevilla’s talented team leader after his mother forbade him from pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a bullfighter. His brief tenure of just a season and a half before joining Florentino Pérez’s Galáctico project at Real Madrid did create some resentment.

His frequent returns to the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, where he faced hostility from fans while achieving success with Los Blancos, did not endear him to the home supporters, especially the fervent Biri Biri ultras.

Even during the 2023-24 season, when he returned to the club under coach Quique Sánchez Flores and they finished 14th, many fans were slow to embrace Ramos “home.” Some even booed him and expressed dissatisfaction to local media about his presence in the dressing room at age 38, claiming his prime years were “behind him.” Tensions were evident, some of which were captured live on television.

However, circumstances have shifted dramatically.

Whether Ramos (and the investors backing him in what is reported to be a €450 million bid for control) possesses the organizational and commercial acumen to stabilize this rapidly declining club will only be revealed if he assumes leadership.

It is clear, according to the Sevilla supporters I know, that they are thoroughly exhausted by the precarious management of their club both on and off the field in recent years.

Meanwhile, their green-and-white city rivals, Real Betis, have been thriving, winning the Copa del Rey, reaching their first-ever European final, advancing to the quarterfinals of this season’s Europa League, and presenting themselves as credible Champions League contenders. This only adds to Sevilla’s frustrations.

In light of Sevilla’s lack of quality, determination, pride, and any indication that the squad is averse to relegation, the idea of Ramos—fierce, ambitious, and locally born—taking charge will be highly appealing to the majority of Los Rojiblancos’ supporters.

In the background, there is a look at the challenges that whoever acquires control from the five major shareholder families/groups currently overseeing the club will need to address.

First, there has been significant mismanagement in how Sevilla has conducted its transfer dealings.

The quality of the squad has drastically declined from the level that secured their most recent European trophy (in 2023 under José Luis Mendilibar, who not only saved them from relegation but also guided them past Manchester United, Juventus, and AS Roma to claim their record-setting seventh UEFA Cup/Europa League title).

Less than three years ago, Sevilla’s roster included players who had won the World Cup or finished as runners-up (Alejandro “Papu” Gómez, Ivan Rakitić, Gonzalo Montiel, Marcos Acuña, Jesús Navas, Lucas Ocampos) along with a number of quality footballers (Fernando, Yassine Bounou, Pape Gueye, Youssef En-Nesyri) who had either won or would go on to win the Europa League or the Africa Cup of Nations, and were frequent trophy winners in other European leagues.

Currently, the incoming coach will inherit a group of athletes who appear disinterested, with their most notable attributes often being their height, strength, or past ability to “win duels.” The creativity, quality, excitement, and daring spirit that characterized Sevilla’s legacy have nearly vanished.

Fortunately, the individual responsible for assembling this underwhelming squad, Victor Orta, has been dismissed, and the club’s technical department is working to promote youth talent from the academy. However, it is glaringly evident that there is a severe lack of genuine talent, ball skills, and the capacity to handle pressure and emerge victorious.

Additionally, the situation regarding recruitment is compounded by the fact that if they manage to avoid relegation, Sevilla will have the second-lowest allowable salary cap in LaLiga, making it extremely challenging to attract established talent. If they are relegated, the situation will worsen.

This stands in stark contrast to the previous couple of decades, when a combination of excellent scouting for hidden gems and the ability to attract high-quality players seeking an exciting new project led Sevilla to secure 12 major trophies after a historic drought that lasted from 1948 until 2006.

As the current footballing humiliation unfolds—and it is indeed a humiliation—Ramos and his Five Eleven Group investors are reportedly conducting a thorough “due-diligence” review of Sevilla’s financial situation. They have approached most (but not all) of Sevilla’s shareholder groups with a detailed proposal regarding share pricing and a vision for revitalizing the struggling club. How relegation, which remains a genuine threat, would affect that offer is not publicly known—but it certainly would not enhance the individual share price. This is a certainty.

For whoever takes over on the coaching front, the outlook is quite bleak.

Sevilla must secure victories against two teams attempting to pull them into the relegation zone (Real Oviedo and Levante) away from home. They still have to face Atlético Madrid, along with in-form Real Sociedad and Osasuna, while their final three matches—given their current form—would not inspire confidence in securing even a single point against Real Madrid, Villarreal, and Celta Vigo.

They have managed a dismal six points out of a possible 39 since December, ranking as LaLiga’s third-worst team at home, and no team in the top division has conceded more goals than Sevilla.

José María del Nido Carrasco, Sevilla’s current president and son of the club’s most successful Presi, with whom he has had a public and contentious fallout, recently addressed the club’s current predicament, stating: “I have a clear conscience knowing we’ve followed the roadmap we’re supposed to.

“We’ve reduced expenses over these past two years. It’s one thing to hear chants of ‘Junior, leave now,’ and another to have people wishing you dead. That’s not pleasant and it must be condemned.

“Every night I ask myself if it’s worth continuing to lead Sevilla … but I accept being the villain in this story.”

It was Del Nido Jr. who, as he openly acknowledges, thwarted Ramos’ desire to return and play for the club without a salary in the most recent transfer window.

Regarding Ramos potentially taking over, Del Nido believes: “The shareholders are Sevilla fans and they also want what’s best for the club. The day they tell me I have to leave, I’ll leave.

“I know from Sergio Ramos’ inner circle that they’ll be informed of the club’s situation through a letter of intent.”

As 2026 approached, Ramos took to social media to welcome the New Year with the hope: ‘… that the year brings unexpected opportunities and the joy of fulfilling dreams.’

If Sevilla faces relegation, it would present an unexpected opportunity to acquire the club at a lower price, but it would not be a joyful situation nor would it fulfill any of Ramos’ “unfulfilled dreams.”

A potentially tumultuous few weeks lie ahead for Sevilla and their increasingly desperate supporters—yet could salvation ultimately rest in the hands of their often-unpopular former star Sergio Ramos?