"Fabio Cardoso plays it simple and knows how to master his weaknesses."

The last few days and hours of the transfer market have been frantic at Sevilla . The Blanquirrojos (red and white) club completed the signings of Batista Mendy, Alexis Sánchez, César Azpilicueta , and Fabio Cardoso , and released Kelechi Iheanacho, Stanis Idumbo , and Dodi Lukebakio after also agreeing to sell Loïc Badé to Bayer Leverkusen on August 21. The squad restructuring masterminded by Cordón has seen the anticipated acceleration in the final stretch of the transfer window, and Almeyda finally knows which players he can count on to face the season, at least until January.

During the first few matchdays of LaLiga, the Sevilla manager fielded a defense comprised entirely of youth players (Juanlu, Castrín, Kike Salas, and Carmona all started in the first two matches). Antonio Cordón sought veteran players in this position in the closing stages of the transfer window, and they ended up landing him in the form of César Azpilicueta (36) and Fabio Cardoso (31). The Navarrese defender, an international with an impressive record of achievements, has a career well known to the general public. This is not the case with Fabio Cardoso, a signing who hasn't received the media spotlight and who comes to provide leadership to the squad in a key position to ensure things run as desired.

Formed in the youth ranks of Benfica , a giant in Portuguese football, he arrived at Sevilla from the other great Portuguese club, Porto . To become a member of the Dragóes , he first had to make a name for himself by performing at lesser-known teams such as Paços de Ferreira, Vitoria Setúbal, and Santa Clara . He also left his home country to play for Rangers in Glasgow and Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

José Couceiro is a prominent figure in Portuguese football. He coached Porto, coached and served as sporting director of Sporting de Portugal, and recently worked for the Portuguese Football Federation. During his time as manager of Vitoria Setúbal, he worked under Fabio Cardoso, and, when contacted by ABC de Sevilla , he has been analyzing what the center-back's arrival at Sevilla could mean.

" Although not a very fast player, Fabio is a very focused player who puts all his focus on his concentration during the match. He's strong one-on-one, but loyal and noble in his attitude. He plays in a simple way and knows how to master his weaknesses ," Couceiro begins.

Regarding his personality in the locker room, Couceiro emphasized that "he's a good teammate and always willing to help the team." " In terms of leadership, Fábio takes charge, but like everyone else, he needs the support of the team and the coaches . Football is a team game, and Sevilla needs everyone to regain confidence. You can't expect anyone alone to solve the problems," he added, referring to Cardoso's mission to ensure Badé's departure doesn't become too noticeable.

The 31-year-old Portuguese player will have to compete for a spot this season with Tanguy Nianzou, Marcao, Kike Salas, and Ramón Martínez. Gudelj, as he has proven during his time with Sevilla, can also adapt to that position.