Almeyda erupts after Sevilla stalemate: 'It's like someone robbing your house'
Sevilla boss Matías Almeyda's passionate defence of his team after controversial red card incidents against Alavés shows his fighting spirit amid difficult season.
The fiery Argentine manager didn’t hold back after Sevilla battled to a hard-fought draw with Alavés, despite playing much of the match with ten men in their latest LaLiga encounter.
Red mist descends at the Sánchez Pizjuán
Matías Almeyda, Sevilla’s passionate gaffer, found himself in hot water after being sent to the stands during a tense affair against Alavés. The match, which ended in a stalemate, saw Sevilla reduced to ten men early doors, completely disrupting Almeyda’s tactical approach.
“The expulsion modifies an entire plan, everything we programmed,” Almeyda explained post-match, acknowledging the legitimate nature of his player’s dismissal while praising his team’s resilience in difficult circumstances.
But it was Almeyda’s own marching orders that truly got his goat. The Argentine’s comparison of the situation to a home invasion speaks volumes about his protective nature toward the club:
“It’s the same as if someone breaks into your house to rob you… what would you do?” he fumed.
Apologies and accusations
While Almeyda did express regret for his touchline antics, he remained adamant that officials treated him unfairly:
- Apologised to fans, family and “Sevillismo” for his reaction
- Claimed he neither spoke disrespectfully nor insulted the referee
- Expressed frustration at not being told why he was dismissed
- Suggested double standards in how officials handle complaints
“It’s very easy to expel me when I don’t speak. I see all the matches, a million complaints, and we can’t talk,” Almeyda lamented, clearly feeling his team were getting the short end of the stick.
Fighting spirit remains
Despite the controversy, Almeyda found positives in his squad’s performance, particularly highlighting their defensive organisation and unwillingness to throw in the towel despite being a man down.
“If you look at the endings of our last two games, they’re leaving a message that we don’t give up,” he noted, pointing to a resilience that could prove crucial as Sevilla navigate through a challenging campaign.
The hard-earned point might not be three, but the fighting spirit shown by Los Nervionenses will give their supporters some hope that better days lie ahead. For Almeyda, defending his players “like family” might have landed him in the referee’s bad books, but it’s certainly won him respect in the dressing room.