Having helped Sevilla progress to a record seventh UEFA Europa League final, star midfielder-turned-defender Nemanja Gudelj has discussed the club's special connection to the competition.
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Despite having an abysmal start to the campaign, Sevilla once again find themselves on the cusp of winning another major European trophy.
Last Thursday, an Erik Lamela goal in the first half of extra-time secured the Andalusians a 2-1 victory over Juventus in the second leg of their UEL semi-final and a record-extending seventh final, in which they will come up against Jose Mourinho's AS Roma.
A big part of the LaLiga giants' success has been Gudelj. The Serbia international alternates between defensive midfield and central defence, but his most impressive performances for Los Nervionenses have come in Europe while in defence, being a consistent performer in a team that has been plagued by instability.
After the victory over the record Scudetto winners, Soccer Laduma was fortunate enough to sit in on a press conference in which the Belgrade native expressed the special affinity the Spanish outfit has with the Europa League.
"They ask me a lot of times this question and it's not easy to answer because it's obvious the club has a very special connection to this European league," the 31-year-old said.
"They've already won it six times and we're very close to winning it a seventh time and that's why they always say in the club when we play the Europa League, 'we're sure that nobody wants to win it as badly as we want it'.
"So yeah, we really have a special connection with the cup. Why? I don't exactly know, but of course Sevilla want to win every competition they're in.
"They want to win all the games, they see all the games as a final and I think of because of that mentality, they've won it so many times, and I think that they will win it even more in the future."
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Gudelj moved to Spain in 2019 and was a part of Sevilla's previous triumph in the competition.
With the club's Sevillistas having seemingly taken to him well, the defensive player also commented on how it has been relatively easy to adapt to a different culture.
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"The moment I signed for the club, a few months later, I immediately felt like I am home. I adapted very quickly and it quickly became my home," he continued.
"So, thanks to the club, thanks to the fans, thanks to the nice people of the city. Now that my family is here, we really feel like we're home.
"I think it's also very important for the player to feel at home when he wants to reach his maximum capacity."
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