Article by Alexandru Barbu, Daniel Grigore – published Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 07:10 / Updated Wednesday, April 23, 2025 07:13
In 2013, Sevilla paid 2.2 million euros to buy Rusescu from FCSB. The adventure of the former goalscorer Romania in Andalusia did not go according to expectations, with Rusescu used in only 7 matches before returning, only a year later, to FCSB.
The 21 goals scored by Raul Rusescu in the 2012/2013 season of the first league, 26 overall in that season in all competitions, brought the transfer to the great football, to Sevilla, trained at that time by UNAI Emery.
In the two years in which he was under contract with Seville, the former Romanian striker played only 7 times for Andaluzimarking in 3 rows. The rest was borrowed in Braga, then at FCSB, so that in the summer of 2015 it was released.
What did not work for Rusescu, why didn't he manage to enter the graces of UNAI Emery?
Rusescu recalled Sevilla period in detail in the newest edition of the podcast “2 to 1”, in which he passed from the filmmaker's chair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtdkihvxmh8
At 12 years away, Raul Rusescu admits: “I missed the pre-Sevilla period”
First of all, Rusescu believes that the way he approached the months before moving to Spain did not help him at all:
“I am aware that the two-month period and some holiday I had … We finished the season in May, and in Seville we went close to my day, in July.
I am aware that I missed that moment, that period, but it was to be. I can no longer change now”.
On August 8, 2013, Rusescu was integralist in a 6-1 with FK Mladost, in the Europa League preliminaries, match in which he scored twice. After that match, Unai Emery told him in a tête-à-tête that he does not have it in the plans!
“I played that preliminary tour of the Europa League and my idea was to ask how he sees my situation. I had changed the position, from number 10 I played number 9, in another championship, another country. He said to me, “Okay, come tomorrow.” I went and told me clearly how things see.
Surprised me, I didn't expect it. It was a 3 -minute talk. From my point of view, I had nothing to comment on. I had no arguments to fight. In vain I told him that I scored two goals. «Yes, but you weren't good, I didn't like it, I didn't like that, you have to work more». Okay, ok ”, Rusescu recalls.
Raul Rusescu remembers the Seville period: “I was like a dog!”
The discussion with Emery was ambitious on the former goalscorer of Romania, but the change of attitude did not help him to enter the coach:
“After I was told that I was not prepared, I had a 3 -week period – a month in which I was like a dog! I said, “Well, this should not happen to me.”
I didn't get well, even if I didn't understand the decision at that time. He came immediately after a match in which I scored two goals. Okay, with a weak team of Europa League, but there were two goals.
It didn't get me well but just as I was all my life, when it really needed [am tras]. That month, a month and something I put like a dog. “
“Then I felt there is no room for me.”
In January 2014, Rusescu left for Portugal, in Braga, in the form of a loan. What happened after the European match with Freiburg in December 2013 had convinced him that he had no chance of insinuating himself in Emery's plans.
“I do not know if there were other offers when I went to Braga. I wanted to leave! I really wanted to leave Sevilla. I could not … It was already too much! And the thing that was too much happened in Freiburg, in the Europa League. I left the whole lot, it was the last stage.
I was playing on Thursday and leaving for Monday. It happens like this. No one commented, we were all professionals. Then the players got sick, on the Mari-Mercars I was 15 at training! That's how I caught the reserve bank and got me. I gave an empty too!
At the next match I expected at least to be in the lot. I was thinking: “I was empty, I was fine as I played, those 15 minutes.” Where? Home! That was the moment when I felt there is no room for me, ”says Rusescu.
Raul Rusescu: “I knew it clearly that I have no chance to come back to Seville”
The second half of that season was good for Raul, who scored on average a goal for two matches for Braga but Nor did the yield in Portugal have made to be taken into account at Sevilla.
“I went to Braga, scored 10 goals in 20 matches. They won the Europa League and I knew that a training tour in Asia follows, 7-8 days, playing players who had less minutes. In my innocence, I was expecting to be called toobecause I had a good year in Portugal, with good, consistent matches.
Not. When the preparation began, it gave me a message MONCHI (No – Sports Director), then sent me the official paper, that I do not need to present myself on the date when the team is gathered. And that's it. Then I knew it clearly I have no chance to come back to Sevilla no matter what I would do. That's how I got to return to FCSB ”.
