JOSÉ CASTRO: "IT'S ALL SQUARE DESPITE OUR GOAL ADVANTAGE"

Sevilla FC President José Castro attended the media upon the team's arrival in London. Castro began by saying: "We ought to be feeling good. But despite the one-goal lead we're bringing here, we have to think it's all square. West Ham are a very good team and are playing at home. I'm sure we'll have some tough moments but I hope we'll do our work in attack and defence and get through. There's a long way to go, but our ambition is to go as far as possible in this competition which has given us so much. We've always given it the utmost respect and that's why we're the team who has won it the most times."

"We're worried about the injuries, but complaining won't help us. Calls will be made at the end of the season. Now we have to focus on the players we have available to us to help us get through the round, and they've shown they're capable. There's no point thinking about the players out. This is a huge game, but we're talking about different competitions. La Liga allows us to be in Europe and this competition is brilliant - and we have the extra motivation of the final being played in our stadium. There's still a very long way to go. The round of 16, quarters, semis... We look at the Europa League differently because of everything it has given us. We're desperate to keep going and we have to turn our minds away from La Liga for the moment."

"We ask for criteria with the referees and VAR. This can't keep going on, game after game"

The president was also asked about the recent refereeing decisions that have went against the team: "Sevilla have shown on numerous occasions that we respect the referees and it doesn't help to speak out against them. We don't believe there's anything shady going on. But saying that, the Board, the coaches, players and fans are incensed because the disparity is incredible. There's so much on the line and it's ridiculous. We've had goals ruled out, the penalty in Madrid, and the other day against Rayo is the straw that broke the camel's back because it's another two points we've missed out on. VAR is a great tool that is not being used correctly. I haven't seen a clear image that shows Rafa Mir handles it, and the referee doesn't go to the monitor to look at it. But then when he's five metres away from the penalty he does give, he's told to revise it looking at the monitor. It's madness. And then they don't see the shove on Augustinsson for their goal. We ask for criteria, this can't keep going on. When Koundé barely lashed out, the same thing happened this weekend and nothing happened. Delaney was sent off for clapping the referee - the exact same thing happened this weekend and nothing happened. We can't be having the same reactions, but with different results."

"We believe in the referees but they need to have defined criteria, and there isn't. That's the reality. They're hurting themselves because now there's more pressure on them. I don't think they want that. I publicly denounce the committees because they don't listen to us. We send them reports and they don't read them. They don't do their job. They send back generic responses. That isn't on. They need to analyse the decisions, not back away from them. Spanish football doesn't deserve this - and it's not just us, so many clubs have complained about this. I'm making an exception today by speaking in public - enough is enough and it has to be said. We speak from the high ups and present our complaints in the most formal way possible, as a big club ought to do. But the truth is there's no criteria. It happens every single match."