Sevilla secured the Europa League title for a seventh time, even as Tecatito Corona did not make the squad for the final rounds.
After a season filled with both triumphs and trials, Sevilla emerged as Europa League champions once again, extending their remarkable run in this competition. The title came at the expense of Jose Mourinho and his Roma, who found themselves overpowered by Sevilla’s resilience.
The Red and Whites showed great grit during stretches of the match, even briefly taking the lead thanks to a strike from Paulo Dybala in the 34th minute of the first half. Yet Sevilla’s storied history in the tournament shone through. They drew level at 55 minutes when Gianluca Mancini turned the ball into his own net, equalizing the score and keeping the drama alive.
The match remained tied through regulation and into extra time, held at the Puskás Arena, where the tempo did not relent. After 30 minutes of extra time, the winner would be decided by penalties, and Sevilla held their nerve to prevail from the spot in a dramatic shootout that crowned them Europe’s champions once again.
The Mexican forward Jesus Manuel Corona, known as Tecatito, watched from the stands for most of the final and joined his teammates on the pitch in celebration at the end. However, his absence from the matchwoman’s medal ceremony drew attention. The reasons behind his non-appearance in the medal presentation are explained below.
WHY IS TECATITO CORONA NOT THE EUROPE LEAGUE CHAMPION?
Sevilla did not register Corona for the direct-elimination rounds of this Europa League campaign. His prolonged injury, which carried into 2022, prevented him from participating in the knockout stages and cost him a chance to win the title on the field. The injury also sidelined him during the Qatar World Cup 2022 with Mexico.
Corona had managed to return and accumulate minutes after a long nine-month layoff, even finding a place on the scoresheet during Day 34 against Real Valladolid, signaling his ongoing recovery and contribution to the squad when fit. Nevertheless, for the final stages in Budapest, the team’s registration did not include him in the matchday squad, which is why he did not feature in the milestones of the finale, despite a strong underlying influence across the season. This decision mirrors the broader element of squad management in European knockout football, where injuries and registration rules shape the final roll call.
In the end, Sevilla’s title run highlighted the depth of their squad, their long tradition in European competition, and their ability to navigate setbacks with collective resolve. The club’s fans can reflect on a campaign that underscored why it remains one of the continent’s most storied teams, even if one of its most famous players had to watch from afar.
Source: Goal