FC Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic admits he does not like playing against Sevilla and reckons the Catalan giants should be perfect if they are to beat his former club in Tuesday’s European Super Cup.
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Ivan Rakitic was signed from Sevilla as a replacement for the outgoing Cesc Fabregas last season, by FC Barcelona. He had a tremendous season, scoring in the Champions League final en route to winning a treble in his first season with Barcelona.
Rakitic had become a firm favorite in Seville in the three and half years he had spent at the club, captaining the side to the 2014 UEFA Europa League victory. He also married a local Andalusian girl in the City’s famous Cathedral, cementing his place as a cult hero.
Rakitic does not like playing against Seville
The Croatia international told Sevilla’s club radio that he did not enjoy playing against his former teammates, due to his love for the club. However, he would still give everything for Barcelona to win another title.
“I have said before that I do not like playing against Sevilla,” Rakitic said. “Because as a sevillista I want them to win, and as a professional I want to win a trophy too. It will be a very special game, very lovely, I really want to play the Super Cup as last year I could not play with Sevilla.”
‘Barcelona must be perfect to beat Seville’
Seville have signed the likes of Yevhen Konoplyanka, Ciro Immobile, Gael Kakuta and Steven N’Zonzi this season, And despite the likes of Carlos Bacca and Aleix Vidal leaving, Rakitic reckons new Sevilla signings will ensure they will be highly competitive and FC Barcelona will have to be perfect to beat them.
“I see that again many pieces have changed and that they have done it well again,” he was quoted saying to Sevilla’s club radio. “We must play a perfect game to beat Sevilla, because I know how Emery and his technical team work.”
A busy schedule awaits the Catalan giants, who will travel to Tbilisi on Tuesday to face Seville in the UEFA Super Cup and will then have to quickly refocus on their Spanish Supercopa clash with Athletic Bilbao on Friday, Aug. 14 at San Mames, and Monday, Aug. 17 at the Camp Nou.