Global Fútbol

Sevilla FC’s motto of ‘Nunca te rindas’ (‘Never Surrender’, in English) continues to reach across borders. Inspired by this motto, which is part of the club’s DNA and which drives the institution’s different way of doing things, the club launched a docuseries in India, one made up of local content that will help the club strengthen connections with fans in this part of the world.

This five-part documentary series forms part of the club’s strategic plan, which has as one of its main objectives the growth of the brand internationally, while India is one of the countries of high strategic value. As Vanessa Basora, the brand director at Sevilla FC, stated: “This docuseries is bringing us closer to the Indian region and helping us grow our number of followers, with whom we are connecting through a very local piece of content, one that was designed for them.”

At Sevilla FC, they understand that there are three main channels for growing the brand: “One is through digital activations, with native content that can bring us closer to our fans and supporters and generate community; another is through offline activations, with an in-person approach through the help of our partners in India (FC Bengaluru United, Valvoline and LaLiga); and another is through activations in the local media of each strategic region, where we can explain what Sevilla FC is all about.”

Providing further details on the docuseries and its origin, the club added: “This documentary is a clear example of digital activation. It was proposed at the beginning of the season, when we were thinking about how to connect with our audience along with the Indian agency we work with (EDP) and FC Bengaluru United, and we came to the conclusion that we could tell local sports stories of overcoming obstacles, connected to our spirit of ‘Never Surrender’.”

A docuseries to consolidate the Sevilla FC brand in India

Alliances with relevant partners is key to achieving international growth and development. Sevilla FC began this path in India in 2021 with FC Bengaluru United, a club based in Bangalore, which is one of the most important technology hubs in Asia. In addition, Valvoline, one of the Spanish club’s main international sponsors, is also heavily involved in the country. By combining these two ingredients, and factoring in the work being done by LaLiga in this region, especially in technological innovation, the impact is increased and more fans can be reached. At the same time, as well as promoting the club motto of ‘Never Surrender’ and strengthening the brand image, the club is managing to strengthen relationships with partners in Asia.

At Sevilla FC, the club’s story has always been linked to effort, perseverance and success, as this is a team that never gives up in the face of adversity and that always sets its ambitions as high as possible. As such, ‘Never Surrender’ is no longer just a motto that the club carries locally, but one that it tries to spread around the world, both on and off the pitch.

The Sevilla FC brand director added: “We are close to exceeding 12 million followers on social media. We believe we have a great potential there to go beyond sport and to become an example for many people, showing that, even when things are not easy, if you persist and don't give up then success will come sooner or later.”

The stars of the ‘Never Surrender’ documentary

The first episode of the series highlights the story of a football team of blind people in Kochi, in the Kerala region, who have managed to overcome adversity. A second story features Hadiya, a self-taught girl from Kozhikode who made it into the traditionally all-male Indian freestyler team.

The third chapter features Vamshi Origanti, a Sevilla FC fan from Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) who is an active member of a Sevilla FC fan club in India and who fell in love with the history and spirit of the club by watching the matches on television.

The fourth story delves into the idiosyncrasies of FC Bengaluru United, Sevilla FC’s strategic partner, which shares the same basic principles of committing to technology, to academy football and to aspiring to be at the top, in their case in the world of Indian football. Gaurav Manchanda, the CEO of FC Bengaluru United, told Sevilla FC’s media that: “The ‘Never Surrender’ spirit of Sevilla FC is aligned with our principles of being ambitious, of pushing hard and of working together as a team. Our aim is to go beyond the field of play, to give back to our community in different ways.”

As for the last episode, it tells the story of cricketer Dinesh Karthik, who recalls how he overcame various challenges to reach the top of the sport. Ipshita Chawdhury, Valvoline’s marketing director in India, told the club’s media that: “Partnering with a cricketing star like Dinesh Karthik helps us create effective and quality content to connect with our audience.”

In the end, the docuseries has been so well received that the club revealed it is scheduled to be put on air by LaLiga broadcaster Viacom 18, through its channels VH1 India (one of the main English-language entertainment channels) and Colors Infinity. Meanwhile, FC Bengaluru United intend to hold a joint viewing event for all the episodes.