Aston Villa will travel to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium on Friday evening to take part in a fixture steeped in history and emotion, as they become the first English club invited to compete for the Antonio Puerta Trophy.
The friendly honours the memory of Antonio Puerta, a Sevilla academy product whose life was cut tragically short in August 2007 at the age of just 22. Puerta collapsed during a La Liga fixture against Getafe after suffering a cardiac arrest. Although he initially seemed to recover and was able to walk to the dressing room, he suffered a second collapse and passed away three days later in hospital. His death left a deep mark on Spanish football, given how closely he was associated with Sevilla having come through the club's youth system.
Puerta's senior career began during the 2003-04 campaign, and he went on to make 88 appearances for the first team, as well as earning a single cap for the Spanish national side in 2006. During his time at the club, he was part of a squad that captured five trophies in just 15 months, including back-to-back triumphs in the Uefa Cup, the competition now known as the Europa League.
A year after his passing, Sevilla established the trophy that bears his name as a lasting tribute. What started as a low-key pre-season friendly has since grown into a fixture firmly embedded in the club's annual calendar. This year's edition marks the 15th staging of the match, and it carries added significance as the first time an English side has been asked to take part.
There is also a clear thread connecting the two clubs beyond the match itself. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will return to the stadium where he experienced one of the most successful periods of his coaching career. Emery was in charge of Sevilla from 2013 to 2016, a spell during which he guided the club to three consecutive Europa League titles.
Sevilla have dominated the history of the Antonio Puerta Trophy, winning 12 of the previous 14 editions. Only Granada and Argentine club Boca Juniors have managed to get the better of them in this fixture. In its earlier years, the trophy was contested exclusively between Spanish clubs, before Sevilla began extending invitations to teams from abroad. Boca Juniors became the first non-Spanish side to take part in 2016, and since then opponents have included Roma, Schalke, Independiente del Valle, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah.
For Aston Villa, the trip to Spain also offers a chance to assess the fitness of several players. Midfielder Leon Goretzka has travelled with the squad following a spell out with a knee injury and could be in contention to feature. Striker Brian Madjo is also available again after missing time since Villa's 2-1 defeat by Paris St-Germain in the Uefa Super Cup back in August. Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis will also be hoping to add to his minutes as Emery continues to manage his squad's workload.
Beyond the result, Friday's match in Seville stands as a poignant occasion, bringing together football history, remembrance, and a reunion between a manager and a club where he built much of his managerial reputation.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.