I was not impressed — Sevilla boss opens up on benching Akor Adams

Akor Adams has been Sevilla's best player this season, but he was shockingly left out of the starting lineup against Valencia on Saturday.

The Nigerian forward has been a bright spark for Sevilla, tallying seven goals and 3 assists in 23 appearances to sit comfortably as the team’s top scorer.

However, Almeyda opted for a tactical shake-up by handing the starting role to Neal Maupay. The gamble failed to pay dividends as Sevilla looked toothless in the final third and trailed by two goals at halftime after clinical strikes from Hugo Duro and Largie Ramazani.

Adams was introduced just before the break, but failed to impact the game as Sevilla suffered their second defeat in a week, and will now be looking nervously over their shoulders as the relegation fight heats up.

Speaking to the press after the match, a defiant Almeyda explained that the decision was based on a dip in standards during the previous week's clash with Barcelona.

”We have three strikers. I’m trying them out to see who scores the goals," Almeyda stated.

"I brought Neal back after his injury. I wasn’t happy with Akor’s last game, so we tried to rotate the squad. It’s very difficult to please everyone.”

Meanwhile, Adams has described representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations as a significant boost to his confidence.

In a recent interview, Adams reflected on the impact of his international duty.

"I think my confidence was already good. But playing in the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria was a great privilege, something I'm very grateful for," Adams stated.