A season on one game. Both teams, not qualified for the Champions League in their respective championships, have the opportunity to save the honor at the Puskás Arena and obtain, in case of victory, the dream sesame for the prestigious C1.

"Mou has only Sevilla left," headlined Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport as the legendary Portuguese coach will try to give Roma their second continental cup in two years, after the one won last year in the Europa League Conference against Feyenoord Rotterdam.

José Mourinho could thus collect his sixth European title after his two Champions Leagues (2004 with FC Porto, 2010 with Inter Milan), his two Europa Leagues (2003 with FC Porto, 2017 with Manchester United) and the Europa Conference League won in 2022.

Will the science of the Lusitano technician make a difference again? The Portuguese is formidable in these matches-cleaver since he has never lost in a European final, except for three failures in the Super Cup.

If he managed to win, he would join Alex Ferguson and Giovanni Trapattoni, also six times crowned in European Cups, just behind Carlo Ancelotti and his nine titles, giving Roma a second trophy after the two finals lost, in 1984 in C1 and 1991 in C3.

AS Roma's Argentine striker Paulo Dybala during the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Feyenoord Rotterdam, in Rome, on April 20, 2023 © Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP/Archives

Seven out of seven for Seville?

This new cup would especially allow the Wolf to be able to make his comeback in the Champions League. Because the C1, objective announced by its leaders, is no longer possible via the championship after a reverse end of the season: AS Roma remains on a series of seven games without a win (four draws, three losses) and a 6th place in Serie A, one day before the end of the season.

The Italian club's victory in the European Cup could be the prelude to a fabulous transalpine treble, before the Europa League Conference final between Fiorentina and West Ham on June 7 and the Champions League final between Inter Milan and Manchester City on June 10.

The Romans, carried by tens of thousands of fans in Budapest and the 50,000 planned at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, will be able to count on the return of the Italian Leonardo Spinazzola, out on injury during the semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen. Just like the presence of Stephan El Shaarawy, who had felt muscle fatigue this weekend. Hit with an ankle, the Argentine Paulo Dybala could also be aligned.

For its part, Sevilla FC also relies on impressive statistics: the red and white club, very close to relegation to La Liga just two months ago, is unbeaten in the Europa League final with six titles, a record.

In the semi-finals, the men of José Luis Mendilibar, arrived a few weeks ago after the departure of Jorge Sampaoli, have already beaten an Italian club, overcoming Juventus Turin of Allegri after extra time (2-1) after a draw brought back from Turin in the first leg (1-1).

Sevilla's Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri in training on the eve of the Europa League semi-final second leg against Juventus Turin, in Seville, May 17, 2023 © CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP/Archives

Currently eleventh in La Liga and resurrected in a few weeks by the Spanish coach, the Sevillians had been able to rely on the support of 42,000 fans in trance. On Wednesday, about 10,000 will sing at the Puskás Arena to dream of a seventh coronation.

© 2023 AFP