Sevilla kicked off their pre-season tour with a 1-1 draw against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur yesterday. Harry Kane opened the scoring before Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic hit back in South Korea.
Apart from being the first game of the new season, the game was remarkable for the presence of an old face in the case of Sevilla. At half-time, 34-year-old holding midfielder Fernando made his first appearance in four months. Suffering from an ankle problem, he was forced to sit out the last three months of the season.
Speaking to the press after the match, Fernando was very positive about the match for the club’s media.
“We are happy, because the team was good and had intensity despite the fact that it was the first week of work and the first game. I am also very happy, coming back after four months.”
Speaking about his physical condition, Fernando looked fully recovered.
“I didn’t expect to feel so good afterwards, I didn’t feel any pain and I was able to put in 45 very good minutes, feeling the best. By doing it with [captain’s] besides, the wristband represents joy.”
His presence could be the difference between Sevilla fighting for the top four next season and the top three. The Brazilian was the mainstay of Los Nervionesses last season, and their decline in the second half coincided with his absence.
