Sevilla rally to support Berizzo’s cancer battle
● Players produce amazing comeback against Liverpool after hearing of head coach’s plight
On the morning after Sevilla had rallied to hold Liverpool to a remarkable 3-3 draw in the Champions League, the Spanish club revealed that their head coach Eduardo “Toto” Berizzo is suffering from cancer.
Rumours about his condition had begun to spread not long after Tuesday’s match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium and yesterday the club confirmed that the 48-year-old Argentine has been diagnosed with a malignant prostate tumour.
Sevilla president Jose Castro said the club already knew about Berizzo’s condition for at least two weeks. The squad was informed about it by the coach after Saturday’s win against Celta Vigo in the Spanish league.
Sevilla’s mantra of “Never Give Up” was extensively brought up by fans and players after the club pulled off its comeback against Liverpool.
It is unclear what Berizzo said at half-time to inspire his players but, having trailed 3-0 at the end of the first 45 minutes, they emerged for the second period fired up and produced an astonishing peformance to haul back the deficit, sealed by Guido Pizarro’s injury-time equaliser.
“We had to come out with a different attitude for the fans and for the boss, he made us play like that,” said midfielder Ever Banega.
Yesterday, Sevilla’s famed never-say-die spirit was brought up on social media.
0 Pizarro (14), scorer of Sevilla’s dramatic late equaliser against Liverpool, runs toward head coach Eduardo Berizzo to celebrate. “You are in the best place in the world to never give up,” the club’s former sporting director Ramon “Monchi” Rodriguez, who now works for Italian club Roma, wrote on Twitter. “Where you are, they never give up.”
Sevilla were not clear about how Berizzo’s condition would affect his work. In a brief statement, the club said that further tests will determine what type of treatment will be required. It was not clear if the coach will need to undergo surgery.
“Sevilla FC wants to show maximum support to its manager in these moments and wishes him a prompt recovery,” the club said.
Castro said that Berizzo is “upbeat” and wants everything to remain as normal as possible. “He is working and will face this the right way,” the club president added. “We will not talk more about this theme. When there is more to tell the Sevilla fans, we will issue a new statement.”
Coaches and players in Spain and abroad sent messages of support. Spain coach Julen Lopetegui said Berizzo has the “character to win this battle and many others”, while Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos said: “Life delivers many tough hits which remind us about what really matters. We are all with you, Berizzo.”
Berizzo was hired by Sevilla this season after Jorge Sampaoli left to coach Argentina’s national team. He had spent three seasons with Celta Vigo, guiding the club to the Europa League semifinals and to two Copa del Rey semi-finals.
Berizzo was among those jeered after Sevilla conceded three goals in the first 30 minutes of the match against Liverpool. But Pizarro’s late goal salvaged the draw that kept them in good position to advance to the knockout stages for the second straight season. Sevilla are one point behind Group E leaders Liverpool and two in front of Spartak Moscow. They play at last-place Maribor on 6 December.
“The team kept believing and we experienced an unforgettable and exciting match,” Berizzo said after the game. “We showed how competitive we are. We showed that animal that we have inside of us. We took risks to go after the result and that says a lot about the courage of these players.”
Yesterday the whole squad signed a statement in which the players pledged to help the coach “unconditionally… in this difficult battle”.
“We wish him a quick recovery and remind him about something that has always marked this club. They say it never gives up,” read the players’ message, which was posted on social media by defender Nicolas Pareja. “We want to give him strength and show that he is not alone.”