Sevilla players paid tribute to the club’s former player, Sergio Rico, before their Europa League final match against Roma on Wednesday.
Before kickoff, the six times record winners of the competition sent a message of solidarity and support to the hospitalized former teammate.
Lining up at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, the La Liga giants showed off T-shirts with inscriptions which read;
‘Come on, Sergio, we are with you!’.
Paulo Dybala gave Roma the lead in the 34th minute after he picked Mancini’s throughball and slotted it pass Bounu.
Dybala’s first ran to a Roma Physio on the sidelines to celebrate the goal after he was said to be a doubt for the game due to a muscle injury. The Physio tackled him to the ground before his teammates swarm over him in the heat of the passionate celebration.
Mancini, who set up Paulo Dybala’s goal, later scored an own goal to hand Sevilla the equaliser. The game was dragged into penalties where Sevilla ran out 4-1 winners to clinch their seventh Europa League trophy.
What happened to Sergio Rico?
After wrapping up the 2022/23 French Ligue 1 title with PSG, Sergio Rico was reportedly back in Spain and had taken to a horse riding pilgrimage to Huelva before falling off the horse and sustaining severe head injuries.
He was picked up via an helicopter to the hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.
PSG President Nassr Al-Khelaifi cancelled the club’s planned dinner night on Tuesday after the Ligue 1 title win to show his support for Rico.
Sevilla sent the message of solidarity to Sergio Rico since it was their first game after the sad incident.
According to reports, Rico is responding to treatment but is still not in a stable condition.
Who is Sergio Rico?
Sergio Rico is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for French Ligue 1 giants PSG.
Born on September 1, 1993, Sergio Rico started his football career in 2006 with Sevilla youth at the age of 13. After five years with Sevilla youth wing, he made his first senior appearance for the club in 2011, playing for Sevilla B. He made 30 appearances for Sevilla B before transitioning to Sevilla main team in 2014, where he established his career as a top choice goalkeeper at the club.
Rico made 174 appearances for Sevilla before he began to struggle for game time at the club. In 2018/29 season, he was loaned to Fulham where he made just two appearances before joining PSG on loan the next season.
He made 11 appearances for PSG before the loan move was made permanent in 2020.
He is still under contract with PSG but has been loaned to La Liga club, Mallorca, before he returned to Paris for the 2022-2023 season.
Sergio Rico international career
Sergio Rico is a Spain international. He has made just one international appearance for Spain national team. Rico won his first club trophy while at Sevilla. He won the Europa League trophy back-to-back in 2014/15 and 2015/16 season.
At PSG, Sergio Rico won French Ligue 1 title two times, Coup de France two times, Coup de la Ligue and Tophee des Champion one time.
Sergio Rico accident
Sergio Rico suffered a severe accident during horse riding in Spain on May 28, 2023. He is currently being hospitalized due to the accident.
Rico was also a victim of a burglary attack on January 22, 2021 during PSG match against Montpellier. His home at Neulilly-sur-Seine in France was attacked by armed hoodlums who cart away valuables.
