Sevilla have officially confirmed that they will face Aston Villa in their annual Antonio Puerta Trophy during the international break.
Sport Witness reported last week that Unai Emery was set for a return to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán – his former stomping ground – with Aston Villa during the international break.
Antonio Puerta – Sevilla icon
They’ll be taking on Sevilla in the 15th edition of the Antonio Puerta Trophy on October 2nd. The tournament is held each year in memory of Antonio Puerta, one of the ‘great icons’ of the Spanish club.
Puerta, a left-back and midfielder, spent his entire professional career with Sevilla. He also scored the goal that secured their first ever European trophy – the UEFA Cup – in 2006.
He tragically passed away at just 22-years-old. Puerta collapsed on the pitch during a La Liga match against Getafe after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Sevilla have honoured him since. They retired the number 16 shirt in his honour and hold the annual Antonio Puerta trophy to honour his memory.
The first edition was in 2008 and has seen huge names from around the world of football, such as Boca Juniors, Roma, Schalke, Independiente del Valle, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah, travel to Seville for the game.
Now it is the turn of Aston Villa. It will also be the first time Unai Emery has returned to his former club after his successful three-year spell between 2013 and 2016 in which he won the Europa League three times on the bounce.
International absences explained
Which players both sides have available for the fixture remains to be seen. Sevilla are likely to boast a strong squad, with several of their stars unlikely to be called up.
The likes of Kike Salas, José Ángel Carmona, Manu Bueno and Isaac Romero are yet to receive Spain call-ups and that’s unlikely to change for this week. Lucien Agoumé is also not a candidate for France thanks to their midfield logjam.
It will be a different case for Aston Villa, whose squad is full of international talent. Scotland have already named John McGinn in their squad, for example.
That is just a side question, though. The main focus is on honouring a Sevilla icon for the 15th year.
Stadium, tickets and additional information
The match takes place on Friday October 2nd, kicking off at 20:30 local time. Sevilla’s home stadium, the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, is the venue. Metro Line1 is the quickest way to get there from central Sevilla, taking less than 10 minutes on the Subway and then a short walk.
Taxis are relatively cheap, and it’s a pleasant 30 minute walk down the river. Flights are available from Birmingham.
Sevilla season ticket holders can attend free of charge. There’s no confirmation from either club whether that also applies to Aston Villa season ticket holders.
Tickets will go on general sale at noon on September 22nd, price at €10-20.
Attendances in recent seasons have hovered around 20,000, although it’s been held as a pre-season match for the past three years. The stadium holds around 40k.
