Sevilla aiming to step up a level

(CNN) -- The season doesn't begin for most Spanish clubs until the last weekend in August but by then Sevilla should have firmly served notice of their intent to push beyond their already considerable successes at home and in Europe.

On Sunday the Rojiblancos visit Real Madrid for the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

With a 1-0 lead to defend from last weekend's first leg, coach Juande Ramos should be feeling confident of returning home with some early season silverware to add to the Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup titles won by his formidable side last season.

After years in the doldrums, Sevilla fans have had their prayers answered. Cup success has become a matter of routine in a city more used to religious pilgrims than celebrating football supporters.

The club's victory over Spanish rivals Espanyol on penalties after a hard-fought 2-2 draw in May's UEFA Cup final was the Andalusians' second consecutive success in European football's second tier tournament, having beaten Middlesbrough 4-0 at the same stage a year earlier.

They followed that with a 3-0 win in the European Super Cup against Barcelona -- a match that set the tone for Sevilla's season. They went on to to challenge Barca and eventual champions Real Madrid for the Liga title right up until the last day of the season and beat Getafe 1-0 in the final of the Copa del Rey to claim their first domestic honor in 60 years.

Having superseded Champions League perennials such as Valencia and Deportivo Coruna as Spain's "third team" though, the challenge for Ramos this time is to prove his side can achieve success at the very highest level.

Last season's third place finish brought Sevilla within range of Champions League football and Wednesday's 2-0 first leg qualifying win over AEK Athens should be a margin comfortable enough to ensure their place in the main draw is secure when they go to Greece for the second leg.

A second straight appearance in the European Super Cup against AC Milan at the end of this month will provide further clues as to whether Sevilla can punch above their weight for a third season in a row.

The model then for Ramos will be Jose Mourinho who took Porto, a club similar in size and resources, from UEFA Cup winners to European champions in back-to-back seasons.

The big problem he faces however, like all successful coaches at unfashionable clubs, will be keeping his squad of players together and motivating those who over-achieved last season to do the same for another campaign.

Already Brazilian attacking fullback Daniel Alves appears to have set his heart on a move to Chelsea after refusing to play in Wednesday's Champions League tie because he was "not in the right frame of mind."

"I cannot handcuff someone and force them to come to work," moaned Ramos. In truth though, with Chelsea apparently ready to pay some $43 million, Alves' departure makes unavoidable business sense if the coach is allowed to use the money to strengthen his squad in other key areas.

So far, Sevilla's close-season transfer market activity has been restricted to the recruitment of Malian midfielder Seydou Keita from Lens, Chelsea's unwanted Dutch defender Khalid Boularouz and Colombian international defender Aquivaldo Mosquera from Mexican side Pachuca -- hardly headline-grabbing arrivals.

More promisingly, the club have been boosted by the decision of Frederic Kanoute, top scorer with 21 goals last season, to sign a new contract until 2010. Paired with the impressive but temperamental Brazilian Luis Fabiano, Sevilla should not lack firepower in their forward line.

With Barcelona recruiting Thierry Henry and Real Madrid also spending heavily, the gap between Spain's big two and the rest -- just five points at the end of last season -- looks bigger than ever.

But if Ramos' players can improve on their form of last season, it will not just be Sevillistas willing them to success. E-mail to a friend