Lionel Carole and Johannes Geis alongside José Castro
The Club

JOSÉ CASTRO: "WE'VE WORKED OUR SOCKS OFF THIS TRANSFER MARKET"

05/09/2017
The Chairman admitted "you can't always get your first-choices, but we wanted to spend money on the team and we have. The results we achieve are another matter, and I hope they are as good as we expect"

In a very long media appearance at the presentation of Carole and Geis, José Castro took the opportunity to give an evaluation of the recently closed transfer market. To start, he was asked about Carole: "his registration - or the lack of his registration - for the Champions League is the choice of the coach. Signing Carole is our response to knowing Escudero can't always be fit. We tried to sign a left-back from the beginning for that very reason. We've brought Carole, though Matos will have his chances. With the reserves in the Second Division, we're looking to involve more B Team players, and not just Matos".

Asked about the current squad, the Chairman declared himself optimistic: "I don't know if it's better than last year's, but it's definitely not worse. We've worked our socks off, nine players have left and nine have arrived plus Borja Lasso. Our transfer strategy has followed primary targets in pretty much every position and we have reasons to be happy. Barring Barcelona, who spent 160 million Euros on just one player, we've spent more than any La Liga team. It's a sign of our ambition and a sign that we want to achieve more. But this is football. We wanted to spend money on the team and we have, results are another matter and we hope they will be as good as we are hoping for. The objective is to always be in Europe and we hope to be able to continue being in the Champions League because it gives us the opportunity to have a bigger budget. The objectives of this community revolve around football, always trying to be a better team". 

"Barring Barcelona, who spent 160 million Euros, we've spent more than any La Liga team"

On the subject of strikers, he admitted Sevilla tried to sign Jovetic: "We were negotiating for months. We didn't reach a financial agreement and we instead put a lot into the Muriel transfer. We have Ben Yedder and we can't forget Carlos Fernández. In the end, you play one striker a lot, play the second choice not as much and the third choice never plays and gets angry. If there's an injury we have Carlos Fernández". He also didn't hide on the subject of Lucas Pérez: "It's the way the market operates and there was no way of taking him from a club who wasn't disposed to selling. Then came the possibility of a loan and there were moments where it looked like we could have made that work but also moments when it didn't. In that case maybe we arrived a bit late".  

"In the end, you play one striker a lot, play the second choice not as much and the third choice never plays and gets angry. If there's an injury we have Carlos Fernández"

Expectations, once more, remain clear: "I can understand criticisms because having expectations is always positive and is met with the will to improve. Our transfer market has been good, and where at the beginning we struggled to close signings, they eventually arrived in cascades. Óscar isn't here today because he's gone away for five days and he deserves it. We couldn't demand any more of ourselves than we already do. On the matter of Vitolo and Nzonzi, in the end, one has left because of a release clause - we will have to see if it stands - and the other has stayed. There was interest but no offer, and we didn't want one".  

Turning back to the left-back, he went over some of the complications of the deal: "Amavi had nothing to do with finances or the team, then we became very interested in Arana, but he couldn't leave on account of demands from his club. We couldn't reach an agreement for Massina either because the prices involved were extortionate and we found the option of Carole who was identified by our coaching staff. It's difficult to always get your first targets. He comes on loan with the option to stay if he's a resounding success. Looking to January, the club has the financial resources for whatever may happen, but we are going to wait and see what impact the new additions have".

On Nzonzi, he ruled out a short-term revision of his contract: "The interest didn't come with with enough substance. We made it clear we weren't going to let any important players leave. His Dad wanted him to leave, but the reality is he's staying here and we've done what we had to make sure of that. Less than a year ago we doubled his contract and he needs to be happy with his situation. In any case, we talk to the players constantly and we can't talk about something that has no substance, no offers for him were received".

"We made it clear we weren't going to let any important players leave. With Nzonzi we've done what we had to"

It has been Sevilla's first market without Monchi, and many have noticed: "It would make no sense to say it has been the same as a market with Monchi because he was very important for the club. We've put everything in place for Óscar Arias and Jesús Arroyo to work together, but there are lots of important people at the club that put together a list of players that the Director has to work to get. We've almost spent the most of anyone on the First Team; if Barcelona hadn't received so much for the release clause of one player they also wouldn't have spent so much. If that's a point of criticism then I don't understand football". 

Speaking on another matter, Castro shed some light on scheduling and the inconvenience of weather: "Though we don't say so every day, when the fixture schedules come out I get in contact with Tebas directly. Tomorrow we'll see each other in Frankfurt and they're going to consider a change to our schedule given the forecasts that are out there. It isn't easy. We play in up to 35 degree heat all the time and if temperatures are even higher I hope we can resolve it. We are working on it, just as we are working on the 16:15 kick-off at the end of September. There is a television contract but I hope it either won't be as hot or that we can change things".

"Tomorrow I will see Tebas in Frankfurt and we will work on the schedule and the heat"

Finally, questioned on the possibile UEFA investigation into the Neymar transfer and how the Vitolo case is going, he said: "With all said and done, to gloss over the economic rules that regulate the leagues is a disgrace, because we should all get the same chances and we can't just ignore Financial Fair Play. With regards to Vitolo, this Monday there will be an Administration Council and we'll go over reports from legal advisors and will decide what's best for the club and what to do because it's a matter that also involves Financial Fair Play".