Valencia All-Time Team for Foreign Players.

Rainer Bonhof and Mario Kempes

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia,
Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Atletic Bilbao, 
Deportivo La Coruna  Real Sociedad,
Real Betis, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol
Valencian Community

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.


Valencia is among the most successful clubs in Spain. Valencia has won six Spanish League titles, eight Copa del Rey titles, one Supercopa de España, and one Copa Eva Duarte. In European competitions, they have won two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, and one UEFA Intertoto Cup. They have also reached two consecutive UEFA Champions League finals (2000 and 2001). Valencia were also members of the G-14 group of leading European football clubs and since its end has been part of the original members of the European Club Association. In total, Valencia have reached seven major European finals, winning four of them.

Kurt Jara and Salif Keita 

Team  
GK: Diego Alves  (Brazil)
Having begun his career at Atlético Mineiro in Brazil, he spent most of it in Spain with Almería and Valencia, making 269 La Liga appearances during the decade he played in Spain, during which time he stopped a record 23 penalty kicks. In 2017 he returned to Brazil, and won several honours with Flamengo, including the Copa Libertadores in 2019. He played 10 times for Brazil between 2007 and 2010.

GK: Neto (Brazil)
Neto began his career with Atlético Paranaense.  From 2011 to 2015, he played for Fiorentina. He joined Juventus in 2015, mainly as a back-up to starter Gianluigi Buffon, but appearing in all of the club's games in both of their victorious Coppa Italia campaigns.   In 2017 he joined Valencia.  Since 2010, he was a part of Brazil's player pool, but he never made his international debut until 2018.  At the time of writing, he has a single cap.

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia)
Mamardashvili spent much of his youth years at Dinamo Tbilisi. After signing a professional contract with this club, he was loaned to other Erovnuli Liga teams for three seasons before his transfer to Valencia in 2021. He has quickly established himself as a first-choice shot-stopper, becoming the first ever Georgian goalkeeper in the Spanish top tier. He led Georgia to the 2024 European Championship Finals, winning several Man of the Match in the tournament.

RB: Jocelyn Angloma (France) 
Jocelyn Angloma was a member of the great Marseille team of the early 1990's.  He won the UEFA European Cup in 1993, the first ever for a French club.  He later played for Valencia and reached the Champions' League Final twice. He was a member of the French team at both Euro 1992 and 1996.  In 2006, Angloma came out of retirement to play for his native région, Guadeloupe, and help them qualify for the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup.

Jocelyn Angloma

RB: Miguel (Portugal)
Miguel started his career with local C.F. Estrela da Amadora as a winger in 1999.  He then spent 5 seasons playing for Benfica from 2000 to 2005.  He was switched from the winger position to a rightback. From 2005 to 2012, he played for Valencia.  Last the international level, he was capped 59 times.  He went to Euro 2004 and 2008, ands then the 2006 and 2010 World Cup Finals.

CB: Nicolás Otamendi (Argentina)
Nicolas Otamendi played mainly for Vélez Sarsfield and Porto in his early career, winning eight major titles with the latter including three national championships and the 2011 Europa League. In 2015, he signed for Manchester City from Valencia.  He also captained Benfica. He was a member of World Cup squad in 2010.  He won the 2021 Copa América, then triumphed in the 2022 World Cup, playing every minute for Argentina. In 2024, Otamendi secured a second consecutive Copa América title.

CB: Miroslav Djukic (Yugoslavia)
Miroslav Djukic spent 14 years of his professional career in Spain, notably for Deportivo de La Coruña and Valencia, winning six major titles for the two clubs combined. In 1994, while playing for Deportivo, Đukić missed a penalty kick in the game's last minute (eventual 0–0 draw). As a result FC Barcelona were crowned champions instead of Deportivo La Coruna. He had 48 caps and  played at Euro 2000 for Yugoslavia.

CB: Mauricio Pellegrino (Argentina)
Pellegrino played for Vélez Sarsfield from 1990 to 1999, winning four Primeira División championships and the 1994 Intercontinental and Libertadores Cups. From 1999 tom 2005, he played for Valencia. He played in both Champions' League Finals in 2000 and 2001 while winning the UEFA Cup winning team in 2004.  He later played for Liverpool and Alves.  Internationally, he earned two caps.

CB: Roberto Ayala (Argentina)
Roberto Ayala captained Argentina for 63 times, a record.  He is also the second cap record holder for Argentina with 115 caps.  He went to three World Cup Finals: 1998, 2002 and 2006. He was best remembered for winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia. He also played for Real Zaragoza in Spain, Milan and Napoli in Italy and River Plate in his native Argentina.

LB: Amedeo Carboni (Italy)
Amedeo Carboni played for a number of Italian clubs before joining Roma in 1990. He stayed there for 7 seasons mainly as a starter before he went to Valencia in 1997.  With Valencia, his team made it to the Champions' League Finals twice and won the UEFA Cup/League Double in 2003/2004.  He played 9 seasons with them.  He represented Italy at the European Championship in 1996, where he earned two of his 18 caps for Italy. 

Amedeo Carboni

LB: Fábio Aurélio (Brazil)
Fábio Aurélio started with Sao Paulo in Brazil before heading to Europe.  He started with Valencia in 2000. He was a part of the great side that won two La Liga and the 2003-2004 UEFA Cup.  He moved to Liverpool in 2006 where he played until 2012. He returned to Brazil after his stint with Liverpool. He was called up to play for Brazil's senior team, but never made a single appearance due to injuries.

DM/RB: Rainer Bonhof (Germany)
Rainer Bonhof was the youngest member of the World Cup winning team in 1974.  He assisted in Gerd Muller's winning goal at the Final.  He also played at Argentina 1978 and a part of Euro 1980 winning team.  He played with Borussia Mönchengladbach.  He joined Valencia in 1978, which prompted the DFB to remove their ban on selecting foreign based players for the national team.

DM: Mazinho (Brazil)

Mazinho played with Vasco da Gama, Palmeiras and Vitória in his homeland, with Lecce and Fiorentina in Italy, and with Valencia, Celta de Vigo and Elche in Spain. He was a three-time winner of the Campeonato Brasileiro with Vasco da Gama and Palmeiras. He received the Brazilian Silver Ball award in 1987 and 1988.  Wth Brazil, he was capped 39 times between 1989 and 1994. He won the World Cup in 1994 and the Copa America in 1989.
DM/CM: Éver Banega (Argentina)
Banega started his career with Boca Juniors, and signed with Valencia in 2008 where he remained for several years, appearing in 162 official games and winning the 2008 Copa del Rey. After joining Sevilla in 2014, he conquered consecutive Europa League trophies. He got his first cap in 2008, but was not selected for both 2010 and 2014 World Cup Finals.  In total, he played 65 times for Argentina.

AM: Pablo Aimar (Argentina)
Aimar started his senior career at River Plate in 1996.  From 2001 to 2006, he starred for Valencia, helping the club to reach the 2001 Champions' League.  Then, he played Real Zaragoza for two seasons before joining Benfica. He played for them between 2008 and 2013.  For Argentina, he earned 52 caps. He represented Argentina at the 1999 and 2007 editions of the Copa América, at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, and at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Pablo Aimar

AM/LW: Kurt Jara (Austria)
Jara started his career with FC Wacker Innsbruck before moving to Valencia CF in 1973. After two seasons in La Liga he joined MSV Duisburg where he spent five seasons and reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 1979. After another season in Germany with FC Schalke 04, he finished his career with Grasshopper. He earned 59 caps. He was a participant at the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.

AM/CM/LB: Leonardo (Brazil)
Throughout his club career, he played for Flamengo, São Paulo, Kashima Antlers, Valencia, PSG and Milan.  He won Copa Libertadores and International Cup with Sao Paulo.  At Milan, he became an international star during the 1990's.   He was capped 55 times.  He went to USA 1994, but was suspended after elbowing Tab Ramos in the quarterfinal against the USA.  He also played in France 1998.

LW: Kily Gonzalez (Argentina)
Kily started his career with Rosario Central which he would represent in three different spells.  He played for Boca Juniors before moving to Spain in 1996 where he appeared for Zaragoza and Valencia. Valencia reached the final in 2000 and 2001. He also spent three years in Italy with Inter Milan. For Argentina, he was capped 56 times.  He went to the 2002 World Cup Finals.

FW/RW: Faas Wilkes (Netherlands)
Faas Wilkes was one of the first Dutch player to play aboard.  In 1949, he joined Inter Milan, where he had the best of his career.  He also had a great career with Valencia..  He was considered to Netherlands' best player until the emerge of the Golden Generation of the 1970's. He was capped 38 times scoring 35 goals.  He was banned from the national team between 1949 and 1955 because KNVB did not select professional players. He was Netherlands' all-time leading scorer until 1998.

FW: Mario Kempes (Argentina)
Mario Kempes was the hero of Argentina's 1978 World Cup victory.  He was the Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner in that Finals. He was also the South American Footballer of the Year: 1978. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1974 and 1982. He played for many clubs in his career.  Before his European career began, he played with Rosario Centrel.  In 1976, he moved to Valencia.  With Valencia, he was the league's top scorer twice, winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 1980.

Mario Kempes

ST: Waldo Machado (Brazil)
Waldo was best known for his time at Fluminense, being top scorer in the former club's history by scoring 314 goals in 401 matches between 1954 and 1961.  In 1961, he joined Valencia, winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1962 and 1963.  He won the Pichchi Trophy in 1967. He also played one season with Hércules CF.  He was capped 5 times for Brazil in 1960, being a part of the squad that won the 1960 Taça do Atlântico.

ST: Claudio Lopez (Argentina)
Claudio Lopez started with Racing Club and started his European career with Valencia. He helped the club to reach the Final of the Champions' league in 2000. In 2004, Lazio paid 35 million for him, but injuries limited his career there.  He also played for America in Mexico, Kansas City Wizards and Colorado Rapids in MLS.  He earned 55 caps for Argentina.  He played in both 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals.

Claudio Lopez 

ST: Predrag Mijatović (Montenegro)
At club level, Mijatović played for six different clubs: Budućnost Podgorica, Partizan, Valencia, Real Madrid, Fiorentina and Levante. He is best remembered for scoring the winning goal against Juventus as Real Madrid won the 1998 Champions' league, its first title since 1966.  He played 73 times for Yugoslavia.  In 1997, Mijatović was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or, behind Ronaldo and ahead of Zinedine Zidane. He played in the 1998 World Cup Finals.

ST: Lyuboslav Penev (Bulgaria)
Penev's first professional team was CSKA Sofia.  In 1989, he joined Valencia,w here he spent 6 seasons.  He played a season with Atletico Madrid, where he won the Double in 1996.  Later, he played with SD Compostela and Celta Vigo. Penev represented Bulgaria in 1996 European Championship in England and in the 1998 World Cup Finals. He could not take part in the 1994 World Cup, as he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

ST:  Salif Keita (Mali) 
Salif Keita was voted African Footballer of the Year in 1970.  He found stardom almost everywhere he played.  His best stints were with Saint-Étienne, Marseille, Valencia and Sporting Portugal.  With AS Saint-Étienne, he won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles, including the double in 1968 and 1970. He was selected by the Confederation of African Football as one of the best 200 African football players of the last 50 years.

Salif Keita 

Honorable Mention

Timo Hildebrand (Germany), Renan (Brazil), Shkodran Mustafi (Germany), Jérémy Mathieu (France), Guillermo Villagrá (Argentina), Gabriel Paulista (Brazil), Higinio Ortuzar (Chile), João Cancelo (Portugal), Zlatko Zahovič (Slovenia), John Carew (Norway), Johnny Rep (Netherlands), Lyuboslav Penev (Bulgaria), Héctor Núñez (Uruguay), Darío Felman (Argentina), Adrian Ilie (Romania).

Squad Explanation
-- This team was created in. 2019.  I redid it in October,  2024.

-- Jocelyn Angloma, Roberto Ayala, Palbo Amar. Amedeo Carboni, Mario Kempes, Claudio Lopez and Waldo were on my Valencia All-Time team.

-- Valencia reached back-to-back Champions League Final in 2000 and 2001.  Claudio Lopez, Mauricio Pellegrino, Miroslav Đukić, Pablo Aimar, Kily Gonzalez, Amedeo Carboni, Jocelyn Angloma, Fabio Aurelio and Roberto Ayala played on those teams.

-- In 2019, Marca created an ideal Best XI for Valencia for their centenary celebration. Their lineup was as followed: Santiago Canizares, Ricardo Aries, Roberto Ayala, Quincoces, Ruben Baraja, David Albelda, Jose Claramunt, Antonio Puchades, Fernando, Mario Kempes and Mundo.  The newspaper also held a fan poll to determine the greatest All-Time team as voted by fans.  The following players emerged as the top choices: Santiago Canizares, Quique Flores, Mauricio Pellegrino, Roberto Ayala, Amedeo Carboni,

David Albelda, Gaizka Mendieta, Pablo Aimar, David Silva, David Villa and Mario Kempes.

-- In 2024, ESdiario ranked the top 10 players for Valencia in the following order: 1) Mario Kempes, 2) Antonio Puchades, 3) Mundo, 4) David Villa, 5) Rubén Baraja, 6) Waldo, 7) Gaizka Mendieta, 8) Santiago Cañizares, 9) Roberto Ayala and 10) Fernando.  Mario Kempes and Waldo were the only foreigners on the list.

Goalkeepers

-- All three of goalkeepers on my Valencia All-Time team were Spaniards.  So I had to select three new goalkeepers.

-- Diego Alves was among the best in La Liga during his prime.  He was definitely underrated.  He was capped by Brazil 10 times in the period he played for Valencia.  Neto was a starter for two seasons while he was here.  He was also capped once for Brazil while as a Valencia player.

-- Timo Hildebrand was very well-known during his spell with Stuttgart.  However, his decline also began with Valencia.  In 2019, I took Renan (Brazil) as my third goalkeeper.  He was mainly used as a backup in Valencia, but he took over from Timo Hildebrand.  By 2024, Giorgi Mamardashvili broke the team record with his 60th consecutive appearance in La Liga as a starter.  His steak would end with 69 matches.  He easily took the third spot.

Giorgi Mamardashvili

Defenders

-- Jocelyn Angloma, who reached the Champions' League Final twice with Valencia, would be my top pick for rightback.  Miguel departed from Valencia and professional football under a controversial circumstance, but in his prime, he was one of the best fightbacks in La Liga.

-- Like Angloma on the right, Amedeo Carboni would be the undisputed selection on the left.  He was selected by most lists as one of Valencia's greatest players. Fábio Aurélio (Brazil) was the obvious choice for the backup position.  He was a top leftback in La Liga in his prime.  João Cancelo also spent time here.

-- Roberto Ayala helped Valencia to win the UEFA Cup in 2004.  He was the Man of the Match in the Final against Marseille. Amedeo Carboni and Palbo Aimar were also selected here from that team.

Nicolás Otamendi had a significant impact in his single season, despite his short tenure here.  He was named in the La Liga Team of the Year. 

-- Both Miroslav Djukic and Mauricio Pellegrino were named on honorable mention on my Valencia All-Time team.  Pellergrino was voted by the fans in a poll conducted by Marca as a member of Valencia's All-Time Best XI.  Naturally, they became undisputed on this all-foreign team.  Nicolás Otamendi had a significant impact in his single season. He was named in the La Liga Team of the Year.  Despite his short tenure here, he took the last central defender position over Jérémy Mathieu. Matthieu started as a leftback before switching to the centerback position.  He was a fan favorite who later became the captain of the team.  

-- In 2019, I actually took Emiliano Moretti as my 4th centerback. He began his career at Lodigiani and was signed by Fiorentina in 1998. In 2004, he joined Valencia, where he won the Copa del Rey in 2007–08. In 2009, he returned to Italy where he spent four seasons with Genoa. In 2013, he joined Torino. Internationally, Moretti represented Italy at the youth levels. On 18 November 2014, at the age of 33, he became the oldest player to debut for the Italy national football team, playing as a starter in a friendly against Albania.

-- Guillermo Villagrá was a defender who born in Argentina of Spanish immigrants in Buenos Aries and played for Valencia in the 1930's.  He moved back to Spain when he was young. He could be considered to be Spaniard, but I honored him as the first Argentine-born player to don this jersey.  Higinio Ortuzar from the 1940's was the first player from Chile to play in Spain.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Rainer Bonhof contributed to Valencia's victory at the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup.  He also had a good international reputation.  Even through he only spent two seasons in Valencia, he is an undisputed choice for the deep central midfielder for this team.

-- Éver Banega who would became famous while playing for Sevilla spent 6 seasons in Valencia. This team needed more central/defensive midfielders.  Didier Deschamps played only a handful games for the club.  He would not be a candidate.  I did not find much information of Mazinho's career in Valencia.  He seemed to have two solid seasons. And because of the lack of suitable midfielders, I decided to include him.

-- Palbo Aimar was playing liked the next big superstar from Argentina while with Valencia.  He was at one point among the best player in La Liga while playing for Valencia.  Many people ranked him as a Top 10 greatest ever player for Valencia. In the 2003-2004 season, he was a key player for Valencia as they won the Double.  

-- Zlatko Zahovič was a big star due to starring for Slovenia.  However,  he clashed with his manager Héctor Cúper during his time here.  Athrough he played in the Champions' league Final, his career was very limited in Valencia.  Instead, I took Kurt Jara.  

-- Leonardo was not known for his career in Valencia, but it was during this time that he became a regular on the national team.  He was the starting leftback for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup Finals, but he was a midfielder in Valencia.  In Valenica, Andre Gomes was an upcoming midfielder.  He spent a season here where his performance attracted the interests from many clubs before joining Barcelona. I wasn't supposed to consider the post-Valencia careers of players for this team selection, but I couldn't resist. Leonardo rose as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, whereas Andre Gomes gradually fell out of the spotlight.  So I selected the more famous Leonardo.  Leonardo also got into the team because the team did not have enough players.

-- The team lacks a good wide right attacker.  However, Faas Wilkes could play on the right side. He was the first foreign player who became a star for the club.  I would have taken him just for being that.  He was also one of the first Dutch footballer to be a star playing outside of the Netherlands.  In his first season at Valencia he scored 18 goals in 29 games.  However, in the remaining seasons his performance declined due to health issues.  He belonged to the forward section, but I would use his skills on the right side for this team. Aimar had also played on the right side before. Johnny Rep was a famous name, but the other strikers have done more for the club.

Faas Wilkes

-- Kily Gonzalez played in two consecutive UEFA Champions League finals (1999–2000, 2000–01) and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2001. I nearly took Pablo Piatti.  He was named on the La Liga Team of the Year in the 2016-2017 season.

Forwards

 -- Waldo and Mario Kempes stand out as some of the top scorers in the history of the club. Waldo ranks as Valencia's second highest leading scorer. Mario Kempes, securing the third spot.  

-- Waldo wore the club's shirt for 9 seasons, during which he scored 160 goals in official matches.  In his first season, he scored 4 goals in a match against Barcelona. Mario Kempes was rated as Valencia's greatest ever player by many.  At Mestalla, Kempes won the Copa del Rey, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup as well as two consecutive Pichichis, scoring 24 and 28 goals in the 1976–77 and 1977–78 season.  In 1978, he also won the World Cup as the top scorer of the tournament.

Waldo

-- Claudio Lopez played in one of the most important eras for Valencia. I rated his career here higher than that of Adrian Llie and John Carew.

-- Salif Keita broke the racial barrier.  He was not only the first Black player who played for Valencia.  He was the only Black player playing in La Liga after it reopened to foreign players.  He was also a fan favourite. He was known as "La perla negra de Malí (The black pearl of Mali)" there.

-- Predrag Mijatović won the Spanish Player of the Year while playing for Valencia, but Lyuboslav Penev was mentioned as frequently as Mijatovic.  Penev played 6 seasons with the club.

-- Adrian Ilie was the last player cut.  He formed a great attacking partnership with Argentine Claudio López.  They were the top duo in Europe during their time here.  He won 55 caps for Romania, scoring 13 goals.  He played at the 1996 European Championship, 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship.  

Formation

Sevilla All-Time Team for Spanish players

Álvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Sevilla All-Time team for Foreign Players
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia,
Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Atletic Bilbao, 
Deportivo La Coruna  Real Sociedad,
Real Betis, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol
Andalusia

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Sevilla FC's Spanish players.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Historically, Sevilla FC has its up and down.  They won the league title in 1945-1946, but they were mainly a mid-table team throughout the the 20th Century.  Then, the millennium came.  From 2005 to 2015, Sevilla won 5 of the 10 UEFA Cups/Europa Cups.  They won back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007, and then, three straight Europa Cups in 2014, 2015 and 2016.  In 2020, they again won another Europa Cup. They own the record of the most successful team in the tournament. Prior to their first UEFA Cup, they have never reached the Final of any European major tournament.

Team
GK: Andreas Palop 
Andreas Palop played with Valencia and Villarreal before going Sevilla.  As a backup keeper, he won the UEFA Cup with Valencia. As a starter, he won it twice with Sevilla in 2006 and 2007.  He moved aborad to play for Bayer Leverkusen at the end of his career in 2013. Despite being called up by Spain numerous times, he never took the field for the national team, but he was a part of the team that won European Championshp in 2008 as the third goalkeeper.

Andreas Palop 

GK: José María Busto 
José María Busto was born in 1923.  He started his career with the youth rank of Athlete Bilbao, but he spent 16 seasons with Sevilla from 1942 to 1958. He won the league title in 1946, which was Sevilla's only league title.  He retired in 1958.  His career with the national team was limited due to Ignacio Eizaguirre, Antonio Ramallets and Carmelo Cedrún playing at the same era.

GK: Guillermo Eizaguirre 
Born in Seville and played his entire career with Sevilla FC. He made his ebut with the club before he turned 16. He represented Spain 3 times from 1935 to 1936. His chance with the team was limited because he was playing at the same time as Ricardo Zamora.  He was injured before the World Cup Finals in 1934, where he was ruled of consideration. 

RB: Joaquín Jiménez 

Joaquín began his career at his hometown team Once Diablos. He made his debut with Real Betis in 1934, aged 16.  After a season, he joined Sevilla, where he played until 1949.  Together with Diego Villalonga and goalkeeper José María Busto, he was a member of one of the best defensive lines in the entire history of the club, which Sevilla won the last three editions of the Andalusian championship, and two Copa del Rey titles in 1939 and 1948.

RB: Coke 
Coke began his career at Rayo Vallecano, who he helped rise from Segunda División B into La Liga, totalling 204 official appearances. In 2011 he joined Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League three times.  He captained the side that won the 2016 Europa Cup, scoring twice in the Final against Liverpool FC. In 2016, he joined Schalke 04, and then, Levante in 2018.  He retired in 2024.

CB: Marcelo Campanal 
Marcelo Campanal was known as "Campanal II" because his uncle Guillermo Campanal was better known as "Campanal I", who was the manager of Sevilla. He played for sixteen seasons at Sevilla FC between 1950 and 1966.  He later played two seasons with Deportivo La Coruna , CD Iliturgi and his final season as a professional in the Real Aviles CF.  He earned 11 caps with the national team between 1952 and 1957.

Campanula II

CB: Gallego
During his club career, Gallego played for Sevilla FC  from 1961 to 1965, and from 1975 to 1980.  In between his two stints with Sevilla, he played for FC Barcelona between 1965 and 1975. With Barcelona, he won two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1966 and 1971. Gallego earned 36 caps for Spain.  He was a part of the team that won 1964 European Nations' Cup on home soil. He also played in the 1966 World Cup Finals in England.

CB: Antonio Álvarez Giráldez 
Antonio Álvarez Giráldez played with Sevilla between 1974 to 1988.  he also came from their academy.  He played nearly 350 matches for them. He was one of the club's most committed players.  He ranked 9th in all-time appearance record. He later played with Malaga between 1988 and 1991, and Granada between 1991 and 1995 at the end of his career. He represented Spain B team twice in 1981.

CB: Javi Navarro 
Javi Navarro played with Valencia and Elche before joining Sevilla in 2001.  He was a part of the side that won 5 major titles, including back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007.  He was the undisputed starter. For Spain, he made his debut at age of 32 years old in 2006 against Romania, the third oldest debutante for Spain. He was capped 4 times between 2006 and 2007. He retired in 2009 after a lengthy injury.

Javi Navarro at UEFA Cup Final

CB: Pablo Blanco 
Born in 1951, Pablo Blanco was a native of Sevilla, He played 13 seasons with Sevilla FC, including spells in Segunda Division when Sevilla gained promotion.  He made his debut in the 1971-1972 season. He retired in 1984 after playing over 400 games for the club. He helped to qualify for UEFA Cup twice in the 1980's.  He was considered one of Sevilla's greatest ever and most loyal defenders.

LB: Manolo Jiménez 
Manolo Jiménez played his entire career with Sevilla FC.  He played over 400 games.  He retired in June 1998 at the age of 34, after one year with neighbours Real Jaén in the second division.  He had a total of 15 caps for Spain.  He represented Spain at the World Cup Finals in 1990, playing two matches in the Finals.

LB: Antonio Puerta 
Antonio Puerta was a highly talented left-sided player for Sevilla. He came from their academy playing with his friend Sergio Ramos. He spent 3 years with Sevilla's first team and was a key player for their victories at the UEFA Cup.  Sadly, he died in 2007 at the age of 22 after collaping in a match against Getafe.  He earned a single cap for Spain in 2006. His number 16 has been retired by the club, but the number was used under controversial circumtance.

DM: Marcos
Marcos started with RCD Mallorca in 1988. He joined Sevilla FC in the summer of 1991, where he played until 1997. From 1997 to 2000, Marcos represented CP Mérida, being relegated twice in three years. Aged 32, he then returned to his first club RCD Mallorca competing a further five seasons in the Spanish top tier. He was a part of that team that won the 2003 Copa del Rey. He retired in June 2005. 

CM: Francisco López Alfaro 
Better known as Francisco, he first played with his hometown club Sevilla FC for 9 seasons between 1981 and 1990, and another 6 seasons with Espanyol between 1990 and 1997.  Espanyol went down to the second division for a single season during his time there. For Spain, he had 20 caps between 1982 and 1986. He went to the European Championship in 1984 and the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico for Spain. He scored his only international goal against Greece in September, 1986.

Francisco

CM: Enrique Lora Millan 
Enrique Lora Millan played 11 seasons with Sevilla, debuting in 1966 and retiring in 1978.  He was at one point the team's captain.  He played a single season with Recreativo de Huelva before retiring in 1979. He was capped 14 times for Spain between 1970 and 1972, including while he was playing in the second division.  He made his debut against West Germany in the city of Sevilla.

CM: Enrique Montero 
At the club level, Enrique Montero Rodríguez played more 19 years in La Liga from 1973 to 1992. He mainly played for Sevilla and Cadiz in Spain.  He started in 1973 playing for Sevilla in the second division.  He left Sevilla and joined Cadiz in 1986, where he played until 1990.  He finsihed his career with Racing Club Portuense. At the international level, he earned 3 caps for Spain from 1980 to 1981.  He was born in Andalusia.

Enrique Montero 

CM: Pedro Alconero  
Pedro Alconero was an renowned player for Sevilla FC in the late 1940's and early 1950's.  He only missed 3 games in 9 seasons with Sevilla.  He won one league title in 1946, and came second twice.  At the time of his retirement, he held the record of the most appearance for Sevilla FC.  He also played for Baracaldo CF, Guadix CF and Lasesarre, He earned 3 caps.

RW: Jesus Navas 
Jesus Navas played from 2003 to 2013 for his mother club, Sevilla FC. He won two UEFA Cup.  In 2013, he moved to Manchester City.  He returned to Seville in 2017. He earned 35 caps for Spain at the time of writing.  He was used as a sub during the World Cup Finals in 2010 and the European Champions in 2012, where Spain won both tournaments. Early in his career, he suffered from homesickness that limited his career playing outside of his hometown.

RM: Rafa Paz 
From 1984 to 1997, Rafa Paz played for Sevilla.  He went to play inn Mexico at the end of his career where he played for Club Celaya, teaming up with ex-La Liga stars Michel, Emilio Butragueno and Hugo Sanchez.  For the Spanish national team, he had 7 caps all in 1990. He went to the 1990 World Cup Finals held in Italy, appearing in two matches.

LW: Jose Antonio Reyes 
Jose Antonio Reyes graduated from Sevilla's academy, where he made his professional debut in 2000.  He also played for Arsenal, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Espanyol and Cordoba.  He won two UEFA Europa Cup with Atletico Madrid.  He returned to Sevilla in 2012 and won three straight Europa Cup with them between 2013 and 2016.  Reyes earned 21 caps for Spain between 2003 and 2006, and represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup Finals.

Jose Antonio Reyes

LW/FW: Vitolo 
Vitolo began his career with Las Palmas before joining Sevilla in 2013, where he won three straight Europa League in 2014, 2015 and 2016.  He signed with Atlético Madrid in 2017, but joined the side in January, 2018.  He won the Europa League in his first season and adding the subsequent Super Cup.  At the international level, he made his debut for Spain in 2015.

FW: Juan Arza 
Juan Arza Started with Alvas and Malaga before joining Sevilla in 1943.  He spent 16 seasons with Sevilla and became their all-time leading scoring with 207 goals.  He won the league in 1946, and a cup in 1948.  He was also the league's top scorer in the 1954-53 season with 29 goals in 2 games.  He ended his career with Almeria. He earned 2 caps for Spain between 1947 and 1952.  He was one of Sevilla's greatest players.

ST: Álvaro Negredo
Nicknamed La fiera de Vallecas (The beast of Vallecas), Negredo started with Real Madrid, but spending most of his early career playing for a various of clubs. From 2009 to 2013, he played for Sevilla, where he made his name. He later played for Manchester City, Valencia, Middlesbrough and Beşiktaş J.K. At the international level, Negredo earned 21 caps for Spain, scoring ten goals and was part of the team that won Euro 2012.

ST: Guillermo Campanal I 
Campanal I was considered one of the greatest player fors Sevilla FC.  He started his career with Sporting de Gijon in 1929, but joined Sevilla soon after.  With Sevilla, he started on a line called "Stuka". He played with the club from 1929 to 1946.  It was briefly interrupted by the Spanish Civil War.  He represented Spain at the World Cup Finals in 1934.  His nephew was known as "Campanal II". 

ST: Juan Araujo 
Born in 1920, Juan Araujo was a club legend with Sevilla.  He wasa youth product of Sevilla FC, but he began his career with Xerez in 1943, where he was a top scorer in the second divsion.  He retunred to Sevilla FC in 1946, where he won the league in the 1945-1946 season and the Cup in 1948(then known as the Copa del Generalisimo).  He layd over 200 games and scored over a 100 goals for Sevilla. He left Sevilla after 11 seasons and joined Cordoba in 1956. He played a single season with Xerez before retiring.

Juan Araujo

Honorable Mention
Juan Carlos Unzué, Paco Buyo, Salvador Mut, Francisco Ruiz Brenes "Super Paco", David Castedo, Juan López Hita, Francisco Antúnez, Pablo Alfaro, Ailtor Ocio, Francisco Sanjosé, Paco Gallego, Diego Villalonga, Sergio Ramos, Carlos Marchena Curro Sanjosé, Antonio Valero, Fernando Navarro, Juan Carlos Álvarez, Pedro Alconero, Rafael Berrocal, Raimundo Blanco,  José López Martínez 

Squad Explanation

-- The original team was created in march, 2019.  I redid this in June 2025.

-- Nineteen players here are also my all-time team for Sevilla. José López Martínez, Coke, Vitolo, Alvaro Negredo, Marcos and Gallego are players who are not on my all-time Sevilla team.  They are the new players.

-- Jesus Navas, Jose Antonio Reyes, Juan Arza and Guillermo Campanal were widely considered to be Sevilla's greatest players.  Andreas Palop and José María Busto were also mentioned frequently as their greatest goalkeepers.  

-- In total, Sevilla won 7 UEFA Cup/Europa League between 2006 and 2023. The team under Unai Emery that won three straight Europa Cups (2014, 2015, 2016) is underrepresented. They were actually three different teams with different players because Sevilla was unable to hold onto their players after each victory.  Jose Antonio Reyes won a record 5 UEFA Cup/Europa League titles, but two of the them was won with Atletico Madrid.  Jesus Navas and Daniel Carrico won 4 each for Sevilla.  

-- Sevilla only won a single league title.  That was in the 1945-1946 season. Jose Maria Busto,  Pedro Alconero, Juan Arza and Guillermo Campanal were honored on this team.  Marcelo Campanal was Guillermo's nephew.  Guillermo was the manager of Sevilla when Marccelo Campanal made his debut.

-- La Colina de Nervión named the following players as the 5 greatest players from Sevilla: Andres Palop, Dani Alves, Davor Suker, Jose Antonio Reyes and Juan Arza.

-- The Sr.Deportes selected the Top 10 greatest ever players from Sevilla in 2023.  They were: 1) Jesús Navas, 2) Guillermo Campanal, 3) Juan Arza, 4) José Antonio Reyes, 5) Frederic Kanouté, 6) Davor Suker, 7) Ivan Rakitic, 8) Dani Alves. 9) Andrés Palop and 10) Juan Araujo.

-- The "Dorsales de leyenda(Legendary Number)" is the highest distinction Sevilla FC bestows upon its former players. Since its inception in June 2009. thirteen players have been honored.  They were Juan Arza, José María Busto, Marcelo Campanal, Ignacio Achucarro, Antonio Valero, Paco Gallego, Enrique Lora, Curro Sanjosé, Antonio Álvarez, Enrique Montero, Pablo Blanco, Juan Carlos Unzué and Francisco López Alfaro. This team was heavily influenced by this award.

Goalkeepers

-- José María Busto spent his entire 17-year career at Sevilla, notably as the goalkeeper for the club's only league title. He was also honored with the Zamora trophy twice as the best goalkeeper in the Spanish First Division.

José María Busto

-- Andreas Palop played 295 matches for Sevilla, conceding 328 goals and achieving 108 clean sheets during his eight years at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. He won two Copa del Rey titles, one Spanish Super Cup, and two UEFA Cups with the Blanquirrojos.

-- Guillermo Eizaguirre, regarded as Sevilla's first goalkeeper, made his debut at just sixteen. Throughout his career, he won the Second Division twice, the Andalusian Cup nine times, and the President's Cup (now the Copa del Rey) once, before retiring due to the Spanish Civil War. He only played for Spain largely because of playing at the same time as Ricardo Zamora.

-- Juan Carlos Unzué was named as a "Legend Number" by Sevilla.  Paco Buyo made his name in Sevilla before joining Real Madrid.  Salvador Mut was a forgotten goalkeeper outside Sevilla, but he was often listed an all-timer here.  I also looked into Francisco Ruiz Brenes "Super Paco".

Defenders

-- Marcelo Campanal sometimes is considered the club's greatest defender. He spent 16 seasons with the club. 

-- Antonio Álvarezl spent 13 seasons with the club, earning the nickname "Mariscal del área".  Pablo Blanco held the second appearance record for Sevilla. Both of them are members of Sevilla's "Legend Number".  Javi Navarro won 5 major titles as their key players. (two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and one Spanish Cup).  He was the symbol of an era.  So, I took them over Daniel Carriço.  I also studied Juan López Hita, Pablo Alfaro, Ailtor Ocio, Francisco Sanjosé and Antonio Valero all played in the same position.

Andreas Palop and Javi Navarro 

-- Paco Gallego, Sergio Ramos and Carlos Marchena played their best football elsewhere.  Pablo Alfaro also missed the boat.  They were all centerbacks. Gallego left the club at the age of 20, but he returned at the age of 31 and played 5 more seasons.  He was a member of "Legendary Numbers", but I could not find a spot for him, Sergio Ramos also did similiar, but his second stint lasted a single season.  

-- Dani Alves was the only defensive players on my all-time team who was not Spanish.  So, basically I only needed to find a rightback for this team.  Joaquín Jiménez was considered to be the best defender in Spain during his prime.  Together with Diego Villalonga and goalkeeper José María Busto, he was a member of one of the best defensive lines in the entire history of the club, helping the club to win their only league title.  To replace Dan Alves, I added Coke.  He was named the Man of the Match in the 2016 Europa league Final where he scored twice in a 3-1 defeat of Liverpool.  Aleix Vidal actually started ahead of Coke when they were on the same team.  However, Coke was the captain of the Europa League winning team in 2016.  He also scored two goals playing as a right winger.  Vidal only spent a single season here, but winning the Europa Cup that season.  Sergio Ramos also played as a rightback here, but he was very young when he left.  Jesus Navas would play as a rightback at the end of his career.  So, I only added Joaquín Jiménez to the team.  

-- Manolo Jiménez who spent 14 seasons with the club was a symbol of the club.  He was the fourth player with the most appearances. I first took him.  Both Curro Sanjosé and Antonio Valero was a member of the "Legendary Number". From 1954 to 1964, Valero played 231 matches for Sevilla, serving as captain in many of them.  David Castedo won the UEFA Cup/Europa League for Sevilla. Fernando Navarro was a leftback while Javi Navarro was a central defender. But I decided honored Antonio Puerta here by selecting him as the backup leftback. Though his career was tragically short, he made a lasting impact on Sevilla FC's history. In 2006, Puerta scored the decisive goal against FC Schalke 04 in the dying moments of the UEFA Cup semi-final. That goal sparked a remarkable run, leading Sevilla to win five major titles in just fifteen months. His contribution was pivotal, and he remains one of the most cherished players in the club’s legacy.  

Antonio Puerta

Midfielders/Wingers

-- The top defensive midfielders from Sevilla were mainly foreigners.  So, I have to take Marcos Martín. He  played for Sevilla FC between 1991 and 1997. 

-- Ruiz Sosa played for one of the best teams in the history of Sevilla, which finished runners-up in the League, and the following season reached the quarterfinals of the European Cup.  I believed that he was known for his toughness but with technical quality, class.  He was a leader on the pitch.  He was capable of carrying the team on his shoulders.

-- Enrique Lora played for Sevilla FC for eleven years, captaining the team for seven of those years.  In 1970, he made his international debut for Spain in a match against West Germany, held in Seville, at a time when Sevilla FC was still competing in the second division. His selection was initially met with criticism, with some viewing it as a token gesture to appease local supporters. However, he quickly silenced the doubters by delivering an outstanding performance, notably neutralizing the threat of Gunter Netzer. His efforts helped Spain secure a 2–1 victory, earning him widespread recognition. He was known for his stamina and toughness despute being a small player.

-- Enrique Montero made no fewer than 338 appearances for Nervión.  He was known for his passing abilities.

-- Francisco played 20 matches as a full international for the Spanish national team. It was a record for a Sevilla player until Jesús Navas broke it.  From 1970's, I chose Enrique Montero who was named as one of the Legendary Numbers" in 2017.  Pedro Alconero he held the record of the most appearance for Sevilla FC at the time of his retirement.

-- I also looked into Juan Carlos Alvarez and Gabriel Moya.  

-- Jesus Navas won two UEFA Cups and then, the Europa League titles.  He captained the team that won 2020 title. He is probably Sevilla's greatest ever player.   Jose Antonio Reyes was selected because of his three straight Europa League titles.  Moreover, he was a product of the Academy. Rafa Paz and Vitolo were the last players selected in 2016 because the team lacked players who could play on the side.  Rafa Paz played in the 1990 World Cup.  He was a right midfielder.  Vitolo was a left wing forward who won three Europa League with Sevilla and another one with Atletico Madrid.

Forwards

-- Juan Arza is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the club’s history. He holds the record for the most appearances made for the team. Over the course of 16 seasons, Arza played a pivotal role in securing the club’s only league title to date, achieved during the presidency of Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. In addition to that historic triumph, he also lifted the Spanish Cup in 1948. Arza's individual brilliance was further recognized in the 1954–1955 season, when he claimed the prestigious Pichichi Trophy after scoring 29 goals in 29 matches.

-- Guillermo Campanal I was their all-time leading scorer.  He was instrumental in the 1933-1934 season in securing promotion to the First Division. In the final match of the season, Athletic Madrid and Sevilla played for promotion. Campanal scored one of his team's two goals, which secured them the Second Division title. 

-- Known as the "Killer of Jaén," Juan Araujo is Sevilla's third-highest scorer in history with a total of 136 goals in 210 matches. He played eleven seasons with Sevilla FC winning the team's only league title.  He was remembered his goal against FC Barcelona that the club winning it.

--- The three forwards were members of my Sevilla All-Time team.

-- Negredo was a record signing for Sevilla when he joined from Real Madrid.  He won two Zarra Trophy(2010–11, 2012–13) while playing for Sevilla.  He is Sevilla's 8th All-Time leading scorer, and the 4th among Spanish players only.  Only Campanal, Araujo and Arza scored more goals than him.  The other three Spanish forwards did not in the modern era, making Negredo a special case.  

Álvaro Negredo

-- José López Martínez was a one club man for his hometown club Sevilla FC.  He was the first member of the famous front known as "Stuka", where he played with Guillermo Campanal, Rafael Berrocal, Pepillo and Raimundo.  He started his career in 1934 and left the club in 1948.  I only put him on honroable mention.

Formation