HISTORY

The English coach arrived at Sevilla FC to try to save them from relegation with ten games to go, but was unsuccessful. The slump that the team had taken under Dan Georgiadis proved to be an irreversible obstacle. Buckingham did not remain at the club and was replaced by Salvador Artigas.

This former Sevilla player managed Sevilla Atlético after hanging up his boots. He subsequently took charge of the first team on an interim basis for one matchday, just in the interim period between the departure of Georgiadis, with whom he was assistant coach, and the arrival of Vic Buckingham.

In contrast to Merkel, the Greek coach did not attach so much importance to physical preparation. The team had a very good first half of the season in the league, where they delighted the fans with their attractive football, but in the second half of the season the players suffered from fatigue and finished in sixteenth place, and were relegated again to the second division. Georgiadis was replaced by Guillamón, who managed the team for one day until the arrival of Vic Buckingham.

The Austrian coach was known as Mister Whip because of the harshness of the training sessions to which the squad was subjected. His translator and interpreter was the incomparable José María Negrillo. Merkel introduced in Spain the method of warming up on the pitch half an hour before matches. His first season was very good, reaching third place. The second was more discreet, being knocked out of the Fairs Cup by Turkish side Eskisehirspor. He was replaced by Diego Villalonga on the last matchday due to the unrest caused by the news that he had a pre-contract signed with Atlético de Madrid.

He arrived at the club in 1966. Elimination from the Fairs Cup and a 13th place finish in the league (a relegation promotion place) cost him his job in what was his first season. Juan Arza took over the reins again.