[dropcap]A[/dropcap]lready a club legend at the time, Jorge Andujar Moreno – more commonly known as Coke – became a name that encompassed Sevilla when scoring two goals to sink Liverpool in last season’s Europa League final.
Now, after making over 100 appearances and winning three Europa League titles in five years, Coke has confirmed he’s to leave for German club Schalke.
The figurehead leads a list of impressive talent to leave the club, as sanctioned by new Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli. Coke joins the likes of Ever Banega, Jose Antonio Reyes, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Ciro Immobile and Kevin Gameiro tasked with finding new employment with the new boss very much looking add his own stamp to proceedings.
Not of course that it was that easy for all parties to see Coke split from his beloved club.
Speaking at the players farewell presso, Sevilla sporting director Ramon ‘Monchi’ Verdejo branded the move “a mistake”.
Commenting; I have sold many players and many of the transfers cause doubt, but about this one I am sure that something isn’t going well and we didn’t get it right.
I have a bad taste in my mouth because in this transfer we made a mistake, we have lost someone who is very important.
We are not just losing a player, we are not losing a right-back, we are not losing a captain, we are losing the heart of the team, a player who always gave his all for the club.
To which Coke himself added:
I have had a funny feeling over the past two days, my heart doesn’t feel like it is in the right place.
As I have said, the career of a player is short. I feel that this is what I have to do, but it gives me great sadness to leave all this behind. I will always keep Sevilla close to my heart.
Emotional to say the least. Here’s the man uttering his goodbyes with added tears.
Bloody hell, can’t they just go back to how it used to be!?