JULEN LOPETEGUI: "WE TRIED TO COMPETE AND FACE UP TO THE CHALLENGE"

Sevilla FC head coach, Julen Lopetegui, spoke after last night's defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium: "We have been beaten by a tough and good Premier League side. We tried to compete and face up to the challenge. Yet again, injuries created problems for us. The boys tried to pull us through, but now it's time to congratulate our opponents and try to recover for the next league game that's in less than 72 hours. We have to field a competitive team for Sunday but keeping in mind the injuries we have." 

"It's a complicated place to go even if you go with a fully fit squad. We had so many injuries and the boys gave it everything. You have to praise their attitude and the character they showed in these difficult months and we are going to continue down this path until the end of the season. We have to keep our heads held high, not to stop, not to feel sorry for ourselves and recover so that we can perform in the league, bringing players back into the fold if possible," he added. 

The boss ended by saying that "we are thankful to the fans and sad for them. They've travelled far and we weren't able to give them any joy. We fight and we work for them and hopefully we can give them some joy from here on out until the end of the season by reaching our goals."