Two bad weeks may have hurt Sevilla's entire season. A sudden drop in performance at a crucial time ruined the team's hopes of succeeding in the Champions league and left it in difficult position to fight for the Spanish league title.
"A dream is gone," Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said after a 2-0 loss to leicester eliminated the team from the Champions league. "We are not playing the same as before because of me. I'm the coach."
Sampaoli had led Sevilla to one of its best seasons in years, contending for the league title for the first time in nearly a decade and in position to establish itself as a major player in the Champions league for the first time in almost six decades.
The first setback was a 1-1 draw at Alaves in the Spanish league last week, followed by a lackluster 1-1 home draw against relegation-threatened leganes over the weekend.
The results left Sevilla three points behind Barcelona and five points behind league leader Real Madrid, which has a game in hand.
The hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1958 only increased after a win at home in the first leg. But nothing went Sevilla's way in England.
Its next game is at Atletico Madrid on Sunday at the Vicente Calderon Stadium. A good result is crucial for Sevilla if it wants to maintain third place and secure its return to the Champions league next season.