The former FC Dallas winger wishes he’d stayed in MLS longer but is finding his old form as he works with coach Oscar Pareja once again

You can never go back and redo choices in life, but sometimes you get a second chance. 

Club Tijuana winger Fabian Castillo feels he’s been blessed with another opportunity after making a poor choice just two years ago. Castillo forced an exit from FC Dallas in 2016, leaving behind Oscar Pareja’s team midseason to go to Turkey. Now he’s been reunited with Pareja and is set to play a key role in Tijuana’s playoff push.

The 26-year-old returned to the field for Tijuana in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Monterrey after missing the previous three matches with a foot injury suffered against Veracruz.

He’s felt like himself again since Pareja arrived in the winter to take the Tijuana gig. Castillo had returned to North America months earlier to join Xolos and was surprised to learn he’d once again be working with his former coach.

Pareja and his staff, including former Tijuana strength and conditioning coach Fabian Bazan who helped connect the Liga MX club staff with Pareja and his brother ex-FCD assistant Josema Bazan, have made Castillo feel at home and have the winger’s confidence high once again.

“I’m really thankful to God for giving me this position, the return. I was in a tough time in my career, I was a bit confused about what I really wanted and what I really could give to Xolos. Fortunately, (Pareja) arrived, and I think I’m rediscovering my level,” Castillo told Goal.

“I’m really thankful for the opportunities he’s given to me, and I have to respond to the confidence with good results and by supporting the team.”

You can understand why it would’ve been a surprise for Castillo to hear that he’d be reunited with Pareja. The coach looked after Castillo almost like a son when the former Deportivo Cali star arrived at FC Dallas. But the player forced through a move to Turkey in the summer of 2016, stunning Pareja and the club’s front office, which had assured the player it would look to sell him to a European club after the 2016 campaign.

Instead, the club blinked first in the standoff and sold Castillo to Trabzonspor in Turkey, where he scored just three goals over two years and had to follow along on social media as his former FCD teammates lifted the U.S. Open Cup and the Supporters’ Shield that season.

A treble may have been attainable had Castillo stayed around. Without Castillo, there were few attacking weapons to deploy once playmaker Mauro Diaz went down with an Achilles injury in the penultimate match of the regular season.

While going to Europe was the only thought in Castillo’s mind at the time, in hindsight he said he wishes he’d seen out the season with FCD.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes. If I could turn back time, I think I would have stayed six more months in Dallas,” he said. “But you can’t regret anything in life. It was a great challenge and now I’m here in Xolos enjoying my talents coming back and that’s really the only thing that’s important.”

Castillo is deadly on the wing, getting to the byline like few players in the Americas can. The final product isn’t as strong, but Castillo’s return had a positive effect on a Xolos team that was looking to bounce back from a 4-0 trouncing against Pachuca the last time out.

With an improved defensive effort and more chances created, Xolos came away with a 1-0 victory that generates momentum for the team heading into the international break.

“I’m really thankful to the coaching staff for giving me this chance,” Castillo said. “The important thing was the team, trying to get the result. I think we bounced back really well after such a tough loss against Pachuca. We had to find ourselves again, and I think this result helps show us we’re a good team and can fight for the league.”

With six matches remaining in the regular season, Tijuana controls its own destiny to get into the Liguilla. Getting that playoff spot would be a success and a healthy Castillo should help a Tijuana side that has been limited in the attack. The Colombian is nearly back to 100 per cent and is ready to play full matches after the international break.

“I felt good. At the end, I was talking with the manager. He told me he was going to give me five minutes more,” he said. “We’d planned to do 75 minutes because I felt like I couldn’t do everything he was asking. He made the change, but I did all I could. Now I want to take advantage of the break that’s coming to get on the right path back.”

A fit Castillo plus continued contributions from winter signings Gustavo Bou and Ariel Nahuelpan may be just what Tijuana needs to be back where it wants to be. For now, Castillo knows he’s where he wants to be, too.

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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner says he “would love” to end his career in South America, but leaving Barcelona is not yet on his radar

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has admitted he could return to boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys one day, as he begins to approach the twilight years of his illustrious career.

The 31-year-old has spent his entire senior career at the Camp Nou, having been signed by the club as a youth player in his early teens.

Barca scouts recognised his unique talent while he was on the books of Argentine giants Newell’s and he has since fulfilled his potential by becoming one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Messi has won 30 major trophies over the course of his 15 years at the club – including nine La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns – along with a whole host of individual awards.

The diminutive superstar is also Barcelona and Argentina’s all-time record goalscorer, with over 600 career goals to his name to date.

The 2018-19 campaign has seen Messi continue to spearhead the Blaugrana’s relentless pursuit of silverware, with another treble still on the cards for the club come May.

While the Argentine talisman is unlikely to hang up his boots any time soon, he has admitted that he could end leaving Barcelona for a final goodbye at Newell’s in the future.

“I would love that but it won’t be easy, for all that it means going back to Argentina,” Messi told Argentinian radio station Club Octubre 94.7 FM. “I must think about the kids and Thiago is starting to become a big boy, so he takes decisions together with us.

“Of course I would like to play for Newell’s but I really don’t know what is going to happen.”

Barcelona resume their La Liga campaign this Saturday with a huge clash against local rivals Espanyol and Messi is in line to start after recovering from a groin injury.

He picked up the knock while on international duty with Argentina last week, but he has already returned to full-training despite initial fears he could miss an upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United.

Messi’s continued presence in Ernesto Valverde’s starting XI will be crucial as Barca aim to overcome the Red Devils in Europe while also maintaining their 10 point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.

A Copa del Rey final against Valencia is also on the cards in May, and Messi will be aiming to add to his haul of vital goals on the big stage during that busy period.

The legendary attacker concluded by revealing which three goals he considers to be the finest of his entire career, naming the infamous solo strike against Real Madrid in the 2011 Champions League semi-finals as his personal favourite.

Messi added: “I loved the one I scored vs Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. The one with the head vs Man Utd I like for the importance, not for the beauty.”

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The Netherlands centre-back is living in the Norwegian’s home in Cheshire but will not be thrown out early after the latter’s new job was confirmed

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will not have to throw Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk out of his home after the coach was appointed permanent Manchester United manager.

The Norwegian, who joined United in December on a caretaker basis, signed a three-year contract to confirm he will remain in charge beyond this season.

The 46-year-old plans to move into the house he bought 12 years ago in his final year as a United player, but Van Dijk has been living there since he joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018.

Although Solskjaer is excited to finally take up residence in the Cheshire home, he suggested at a press conference on Thursday that he will not force the Dutch defender out prematurely.

Asked if he has told Van Dijk he needs to leave, Solskjaer replied: “No, I haven’t. We’ve got a contract there.”

Solskjaer’s family have been living in Norway because of the former striker’s short-term deal at Old Trafford, but he told MUTV that they will soon be reunited.

“We’ve really enjoyed the last eight years living in Norway. It’s going to be a change for them but we’re looking forward to it,” he said.

“The six months that we agreed on [until the end of the season] as a family we agreed to do it separately as there was no need to move them over. That’s gone now. Now we’re moving together.

“We built a house, or I started it in 2007, but finally maybe in 2019 we can move into it – that’s long planning!”

United have won 14 of the 19 games they have played since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho at the helm, reviving their challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League and progressing to the last-16 of the Champions League.

The former Molde boss has set his sights on leading United to a Premier League title and says the club will start working on strengthening the squad through summer transfers before the end of the season.

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Though he has already coached his squad in a pair of friendlies, the new coach has some of his star names with him for the first time against Ecuador

Gregg Berhalter may not like labels like ‘A team’ and ‘B team’ nor ‘first-choice’ and ‘second-choice’ players, but there is no disputing the reality that Thursday’s friendly against Ecuador will be his first opportunity to lead a U.S. national team that resembles his best possible group.

Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams lead the contingent of European-based USMNT players set for their first chance to play in Berhalter’s possession-based system. The moment is a defining one as it signals the serious work of Berhalter implementing his system, as well as the first step for a generation of top young talents to show they are ready to help the USMNT rebound from the disappointment of missing the 2018 World Cup.

“One of the goals we have as a national team right now is to change the way that people look at American soccer, the way that they look at the U.S. men’s national team,” McKennie said on Tuesday. “Yes, we want to also be known as a team with a typical American style, the ones that work all the time and never give up. But we also want to be known as a team that can play and compete at the highest level.”

“I want (opponents) to think of (us) as a real world force, a team that has a chance against anyone in the world,” Pulisic said. “I don’t want them to just see them as, ‘Oh , it’s just the U.S.’ I want them to fear (us) like a big team. That’s our goal.

“We want to be respected around the world. We’re going to continue to work at that. Obviously, we feel we still have a long way to go, but we’re going to continue to learn and grow as a team.”

Before the Americans can become world-beaters, they must first learn Berhalter’s system, and the U.S. coach’s efforts to teach his team have included everything from detailed video conferences to regular communications with his foreign-based players before they ever set foot in their first camp with him in charge. The result is a group that is not walking in blind to what to expect from their new USMNT coach. 

“In terms of laying a foundation, setting a foundation for what he wants, for what he wants the environment to be like, for what he wants the football to look like, I think he and his staff have done an amazing job of that in a short amount of time,” Michael Bradley said.

The match against Ecuador will feature the deployment of Pulisic and McKennie in attacking midfield roles, while Adams will be utilized in a hybrid right back/defensive midfield position. 

DeAndre Yedlin will also be working in a new role, as a right winger rather than his traditional right back role. With so many players in new roles, and in a new system, Berhalter is not expecting things to go smoothly right away. 

“We know it’s not going to be perfect, this game, but it’s important to start,” Berhalter said. “It’s important to begin implementing our ideas across the board. 

“We spent some time between camps talking to the players, showing them video, but it’s one thing then to do it on the field. We’ve started to do that now in training, in the short time we’ve had together, and we’ll do that in the game. We’ll use the game as an evaluation period for what we need to work on and improve on.” 

The USMNT is back in Orlando for the first time since its World Cup qualifying victory against Panama in October of 2017, the final match before the fateful loss to Trinidad & Tobago that cost the United States a place at the 2018 World Cup. A win against Ecuador will not help erase those lingering bad memories, but it will serve as a true fresh start for a program that has been in limbo for almost a year and a half. 

“When you’ve had the year or two that we’ve had, then there’s real motivation from every guy to start to put all of that right,” Bradley said. “To play well, to win, to show individually what you’re about and what part you can play in things going forward. 

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“But, on the flip side, it’s March of 2019, in the big picture these are friendly games,” he continued. “It’s still important that we’re building a team. It’s still important that everybody has the right amount of patience and understanding with what Gregg is trying to do with some of the younger players, and the team as a whole. Saying that doesn’t take the two games and make them any less important. 

“When you look at the big picture, it’s still important for everybody to realize that this is one of the first steps along the way.” 

The first step it might be, but a momentous one all the same. Berhalter’s USMNT project starts now. 

The forward scored twice off the bench as his side won Tuesday’s friendly and suggested Tite’s line-up made things more difficult

Gabriel Jesus was Brazil’s saviour but thought Tite’s changes were to blame for their struggles in an unconvincing 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Brazil head coach Tite made six amendments to the starting XI that kicked off a surprise 1-1 draw against Panama on Saturday, with only Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Philippe Coutinho, Richarlison and Roberto Firmino retaining their places.

The Selecao boss said in the build-up to the game in Prague that he wanted to maintain consistency with his attacking unit despite the drab performance against Panama, but hooked Paqueta after Brazil went into half-time behind following David Pavelka’s opener.

Roberto Firmino struck an opportunistic equaliser before Jesus, who replaced Coutinho in the 72nd minute, scored a late double to snatch the win.

“I think we played a good game. It’s not easy when there are a lot of changes, we were lacking a bit of coherency, but we are Brazil and we have to overcome such adversity,” Jesus told TV Globo.

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“We managed to create more in the second half, we were happy and we got the win.

“At times the opposition defended well, which was the case against Panama. We could have created more, attacked more, but I’m used to playing against a five-man backline in England. Panama had six in the second half. It’s difficult and we aren’t used to that, but we worked on it afterwards.

“Today, in the first half, it’s normal for the home team to come out strongly. We conceded a goal, but we managed to focus on what was required and turn it around.”

Tite, for his part, said Jesus should be pleased with his effort despite pushing him into a wide area rather than his usual place in the centre of the attack. 

“He should be very happy with it,: the manager said. “He left the box too much on the previous match, we talked among the staff and decided to try him from the flanks, it could provide more chances than overflowing the middle.

I’m happy he had those chances, not only on creating than but also finishing.”

The Brazil boss also knows he’ll come under pressure from the two showings through this international window, but says he’s ready to deal with it. 

“Criticism can come from everyone, I’m exposed in my line of work and I must know how to deal with it. I just can’t deal with situations regarding moral or education, the rest is ok. I’m exposed and I have no intent of hitting back. No hypocrisy.”

The Bluebirds have still not paid the fee for the fallen striker and his family are calling for answers as investigations continue

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The mother of Emiliano Sala has taken aim at Cardiff for refusing to pay Nantes the £15 million transfer fee for her late son as she called for justice to be served amid ongoing enquiries into the player’s death.

The striker went missing, along with pilot David Ibbotson, on January 21 when the aircraft carrying the pair from France to Wales crashed into the English Channel.

Sala’s body has since been recovered from the wreckage but the cause of the tragedy is still unknown.

As such, Cardiff have refused to pay the fee owed to Nantes until investigations are concluded, but controversy remains over the planning, handling and overall legality of the flight itself.

Regardless, Mercedes Taffarel, Sala’s mother, feels strongly that the Bluebirds should pay the fee and that a refusal to do so dishonours her son.

“Emiliano signed in front of the press, in front of everyone, so they have to pay,” Ms Taffarel told L’Equipe.

“Do I see this as a sign of disrespect towards my family? Yes, I think so. It would have been different if he had not really signed.

“Of course, they are also conducting their own investigation to find out what happened, that seems logical to me, but they must honour their word. His signature cannot be rubbed out.

“I am angry, yes, that is certain. They did not take care of him. A player worth that much money… they did not take care of him like he deserved.”

While the subject of the transfer fee now lies in the hands of Cardiff and Nantes, Sala’s mother is more concerned about seeing justice served after what happened to her son.

Finding out the truth of the tragedy would represent a small piece of closure in an otherwise bleak situation.

“The enquiry is ongoing,” she said. “I think at some point from now until the end of the year we will know what happened. We have to be confident. I want justice for Emiliano.

“Therefore I have to have confidence. We are waiting to understand why and how he died. In what circumstances did he die? Is it the fault of negligence by the airport? The pilot? The agent?

“I simply want justice for my son. The truth. Let justice determine whether there has been negligence, if someone had made a mistake and has to pay.

“We have talked about a lot of things. People said that one pilot did not show up and another came in his place, and so on. These are questions that we have asked to the British police.

“These are questions to which we still have no answers.”

The Frenchman has admitted that the Blancos are a “dream” for any player, but his current boss is expecting him to stick around at Old Trafford

Paul Pogba is “happy” at Manchester United and has a “big part” to play in the club’s future, says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite the France international seeing a possible switch to Real Madrid hinted at.

During the recent international break, the France international admitted that the Liga giants are “a dream for anyone”.

The 26-year-old also aired his admiration for current Blancos boss and fellow World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, saying: “Like I’ve always said, Real Madrid is a dream for anyone. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“There is also Zidane as a coach and it’s a dream for anybody who likes football.

“For now, I’m at Manchester. We don’t know what the future holds. I’m at Manchester and I’m happy.”

Those kind words for a fellow countryman were reciprocated when Zidane said of links to an all-action midfielder: “I really like Pogba and you know that.

“I know him very well, he’s a different kind of player and he can provide many things because of his skills. He knows how to attack and defend.

“However, he’s not my player. He plays for United and we have to respect that. He’s always said that he likes Madrid.”

Such comments have sparked talk of an imminent move to Santiago Bernabeu for Pogba, but his current boss insists nobody at Old Trafford is planning to sanction the sale of a prized asset.

The Red Devils boss, who has helped to bring the best out of a player who struggled under Jose Mourinho early in the 2018-19 campaign, has said: “I don’t like to talk about other team’s players of course but this is another challenge with international breaks because players are available all the time and it’s a different environment, a general talk.

“Paul is a very nice and polite man who answered a general question on Zidane as an icon in France, a fantastic manager, he used to be a fantastic player and he’s just politely answered that question.

“But Paul’s happy here, he’s going to be a big, big part [of future plans].

“You like to build your team around him and that hasn’t changed at all.”

Solskjaer, who hinted at a possible change of role for Pogba following a sloppy display from United in a 2-1 win over Watford, has already stated that he intends to make an £89 million ($116m) performer an “influential” part of his plans.

A coach now tied to a three-year contract at Old Trafford has said: “We want Paul to be both on and off the ball a good player for us.

“We want him to be influential with the way we play. Sometimes that means up as an eight into the box, sometimes to control the game, drop down deeper.

“We haven’t really nailed down one way of playing. We’ve got three or four different ways of playing. That’s the beauty of Paul – that he can do both.”

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The Blues boss thinks that expectations are too high from the fan base and he has urged them to be patient, as he needs more time for his magic

Maurizio Sarri admits that he needs a strong finish to the season to turn around fan opinion but remains confused about why sizable sections of Chelsea’s support have turned against him so soon. 

Chelsea will play a maximum of 12 more games between now and the end of the season, as they look to qualify for the Champions League either through a top-four finish in the Premier League or by winning the Europa League. 

However, it is clear that Sarri has a more toxic atmosphere around him from his club’s fan base than any of the other teams battling for similar aims to side’s, and he has called on fans to ease off and help their team by being more positive. 

“I know only one way: we have to win matches. We have to try to win a trophy. I know only this way,” Sarri told reporters. 

“I don’t know [why fans aren’t on my side]. Probably we did something wrong. 

“I don’t know what. Probably we have to win more matches. I don’t know. But we have the chance to take our target. We can arrive at the end of the season in the top four. We can try to take the final in the Europa League. And so, in the end, our season can become a very good season. 

“Probably our fans thought that it would be an easy season for us. In the Premier League, I think that it’s not easy. Every match is very difficult, every team is really very strong. It’s really very difficult to be in the top four in this championship. 

“As I said in every press conference. We had to face difficulties because we have some. We started very well, a bit lucky in some matches with a very great level of enthusiasm. But I knew very well that it wasn’t easy and, sooner or later, we’d have to face big difficulties. 

“Probably, in the last seasons, they were used to winning. So probably they thought that it was normal to continue to win. But it’s not normal. I think that the other teams, in the last seasons, have improved a lot from all points of view. 

“So now, the Premier League is really, really very difficult, even for a big club like Chelsea.” 

Much of the discontent with Sarri has been around his style of play, which many pundits have described as boring. The 60-year-old, by his own admission, says that his side has not picked up his football philosophy quickly.

The complaints come as Chelsea switch from counter-attacking football to a possession-based game. The issues are that Chelsea now look more vulnerable to be hit on the break, while Sarri’s predictable lineup choices have seen managers copy each other’s tactics when facing the Blues.

Part of the problem, he believes, is the lack of time he has had on the training pitch to get his ideas across and he admits that his team hasn’t grasped them yet.

“I think that, at the moment, we are not playing very well our football,” he said. “We need to improve playing our way of football.

“So we are trying to do this, but it’s not easy. It’s not easy, especially in the first season because we started to work only in the middle of July.

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“At the beginning of August, we played the first official match. Then we worked for a couple of weeks and then we started to play every three days. So it’s not easy for me to play my football. No [I won’t change], because I need to believe in what I do.

“Otherwise, for me, it’s impossible for me to pass my ideas to the players. It’s not easy for them [the players], I think. They are improving. My feeling is they are improving in being a group. They are improving in character.

“Now we need to improve in playing our football, in performances. Then the results will be a consequence. I need to work, I think. And in the first season, it was impossible to work.”

Chelsea face Brighton on Wednesday evening and then they welcome West Ham to Stamford Bridge, before their Europa League quarter-final match.

The Egyptian fired home an incredible long-range strike as Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2-0 in a crucial clash at Anfield

The noise was as pure as the hit. Guttural, you could call it. An explosion of joy, of delight, of did-that-really-just-happen-I-think-it-happened.

It happened.

Anfield was ablaze, the smoke from a single red flare appearing in the corner of the Main Stand. Down at the Kop End, there was delirium, red-shirted mayhem wherever you looked. Limbs everywhere.

And there, amid the chaos and the noise and the colour and the madness, stood a single Egyptian, his smile wider than the gap between his current club and his former one.

He’s done some remarkable things in a Liverpool shirt, Mohamed Salah, and he can add this to his collection. He could play until he’s 50, but he will never strike a football more sweetly.

The goal of the season? It’s certainly one we’ll be seeing for many years to come. Ferocious long-range shooting is not Salah’s stock-in-trade, but he chose a good time to show off his new-found skill here. The King was back on his throne today.

Liverpool had just taken the lead through Sadio Mane’s back post header when Salah collected one of those trademark Virgil van Dijk diagonals out on the right flank. He had Emerson Palmieri for company, but Jordan Henderson’s overlap created the space to come inside.

What followed was sensational.

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From an unhelpful angle, and with Jorginho closing him down, Salah let fly with a 25-yard strike of unerring brilliance. Think Robbie Fowler against Aston Villa, or one of Steven Gerrard’s many, many piledrivers. It was that good.

Kepa Arrizabalaga barely smelt it. It flew past the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, straight into his top right-hand corner. Salah’s 22nd of the season, and unquestionably his finest. A goal worthy of the occasion, a goal worthy of this fantastic Premier League title race.

This, we were told, would be Liverpool’s biggest hurdle, the one to test their title credentials like no other. Chelsea, Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante, Maurizio Sarri, the club’s official Twitter feed, they were lining up to take a shot at the Reds, to spoil their party, to break their hearts.

They couldn’t do it. Not this time, not to this team. This isn’t 2014, it’s 2019, and this Liverpool are a different beast. They’re back on top of the table tonight after this, their seventh successive victory. As the tension grows, Jurgen Klopp’s side are keeping their heads. They’re comfortable where they are, comfortable with who they are. They look like they believe.

They deserved this win, one built on patience and composure in the first half, aggression and quality in the second. Mane’s header, six minutes after half-time, set them off, Salah put the seal on things in the most outrageous of manners soon after. They all feel big at this time of year, but this one certainly did. Klopp’s fist pumps at the end are familiar now, but they had even more feeling today. “What we did to win this game was amazing,” he beamed afterwards. “It was a fantastic performance, an even better atmosphere and a very important result.”

Manchester City’s win at Crystal Palace earlier in the day had ramped up the pressure, but Liverpool showed they can handle it. They survived a burst from the brilliant Eden Hazard, rode their luck a tad at 2-0, but got everything they’d dreamed of. The final minutes, for once, were played out in relative comfort. No stoppage-time nerves this time.

There were big performances everywhere, from Alisson Becker in goal to Trent Alexander-Arnold, the home-grown hero at right-back. Henderson, leading by example, set up a goal and ran himself into the ground, Andy Robertson too. Naby Keita and Fabinho looked like £90million worth of midfielders and more. Mane and Roberto Firmino bristled with menace, a threat from first whistle to last.

Salah, though, is the abiding memory of this afternoon. We’ve seen the ugly side of football this week, but here, on the big stage, for the world to see, was its beauty.

How Anfield loved it.

Four to go. They’re going nowhere.

The caretaker boss confirmed the news after his side’s 2-0 away victory against Real Valladolid on Sunday

Sevilla manager Joaquin Caparros has confirmed he has been diagnosed with chronic leukemia.

The 63-year-old made the announcement on Sunday following his side’s 2-0 away victory against Real Valladolid.

“It doesn’t impede my work,” he said. “I am going about my daily life – on a day to day level, for training. I want to enjoy my work. I want to thank the players and the chairman.

“I am not receiving any treatment, everyone can be assured that I am not receiving any treatment,” he added.

Chronic leukemia progresses slower than acute leukemia and sometimes does not require treatment right away. 

Caparros took charge at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium last month on an interim basis until the end of the season, following the sacking of former manager Pablo Machin.

The Sevilla boss also carried out a similar role in 2017-18  when Vincenzo Montella was relieved of his duties midway through the campaign.

Caparros first took charge of Sevilla in 2000 following successes with the likes of Recreativo de Huelva and Villarreal.

He was in charge of the side for five seasons and oversaw over 200 games at the helm.

Following that he joined Deportivo La Coruna and then Athletic Bilbao, where he was replaced by Marcelo Bielsa in 2011.

Caparros has also managed La Liga sides such as Mallorca, Levante, Grenada and Osasuna and has taken charge of over 1,000 senior matches.

His most recent game ended in success thanks to late strikes from Wissam Ben Yedder and Munir. The result leaves Sevilla fifth in the table, one point behind Getafe who occupy the final Champions League spot.

Los Rojiblancos enjoyed an encouraging start to the season, but just one win in nine league games saw them slip down the table and ultimately resulted in Machin being relieved of his services.

However, a recent run of four wins in five has revived their hopes of playing in Europe’s elite completion next year.

Sevilla were knocked out of the Europa League in the last-16 stage against Slavia Prague, losing 6-5 on aggregate earlier this season.

They also were eliminated by Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey in January.