MENDILIBAR, ON 2023/24: "I KNOW THAT BETWEEN US WE WILL PUT A GOOD TEAM TOGETHER"

José Luis Mendilibar was accompanied by President José Castro on Wednesday morning for a press conference where it was announced that his contract had been extended for another season at Sevilla FC. On the squad of 2023/24, the man from the Basque Country said that "Sevilla has shown over the last few years that it knows how to form a competitive squad and that's why it has been playing in the Europa Cup so much. I don't have any issues, I know that between us we will put a good side together and I am not worried about that. There will be people that come and go, but I am convinced that we will have a good squad."

On his own contract negotiations, he added that "they told us before the final, but it wasn't very important. We were all content with how the team was doing in the two competitions and in a specific moment, saying it four days before or after was not important." 

He has signed on for another year without a specific clause to ensure that he continues after this: "You all know that I like to make things simple. One year, a normal contract without anything fancy. When I normally do this things go well for me and my teams. If things go well here then I am sure we will come back to renovating the contract once again. I can sign for one, two, three or even four years, but the only thing it assures is that you will start the role. Everything else depends on the results and I have never had the desire to agree to long contracts. I hope that everything goes well and that next year we are in the same position."

On Monchi, he recognised that "to come to this agreement I have spoken with the three of them. What I know is that he is at the club and whilst he is, things will go well. I can't speak on rumours, and not on what he has said to me. I imagine that everyone will know in a few days. Monchi is one of the main reasons why I am here and of course I want him to continue. He has been here for many years, doing things his way and the results are there to back him up. But, he has to be the one to decide."

"When I normally sign for a year at a time, things go well for me and my teams"

On how he rates this season he argued that "I have been here for two and a half months and the most tricky situation I came to when I arrived was in LaLiga. We were already in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, but the most important was LaLiga. In six matches we pretty much achieved the objective of staying up, still having another six matches or so to ensure this, and we could give our all in the Europa League. If we had arrived later this would not have been as simple. I think we have done very well, but I know that what has happened means nothing when it comes to next season. In preseason nobody is going to remember what we have done and we have to get ready for what is coming." 

Asked on if the events of last week have sunk in yet, he claimed "seeing the trophy here makes you realise what you have done. It has all gone very quickly, it has surprised us just how well things have gone here, but the excitement that we have generated and the quality of the players has led us to this."

Logically, he also thanked the fans for their support: "The way these things have happened, it's normal that the public is backing us. In a short space of time many great things have happened and it's not easy even for a team that is used to being at the top. We came into a bad situation and and that made the desire for the coaching staff to renew their contracts even greater. You learn almost everything about a team when you have to play every three days, because you don't train to improve but to recover and make sure you are in the right space mentally. It has also been an experience being with you all, and that has been helped by the good results. The two and a half months have seemed like a year. 17 matches is half a league season and it has been demanding, above all mentally."

"17 matches here has felt like a year and it has been demanding, above all mentally"

After making his debut in the Europa League, it will be his turn to do so in the Champions League: "Something will run through my body on the day of the Super Cup. I hope we are as unexperienced in that as we are in the Europa League. It's something that everyone likes, you know that the whole world is watching you in that moment and everyone wants to be there. When that moment arrives I think I will love it."

From there, he went on to speak about the players out on loan that will return: "They majority are still under contract but we will have to come to a solution with the sporting directors. I don't think there will be a problem because the club is used to working with them and we will see what is best for the team. There will be some that can stay and others who have to go, but that is normal at any club."

Finally, he spoke about the excitement he has to continue his time here: "Keeping on at the club for another year, sharing the dressing room with these players who are great, being around the staff at the ciudad deportiva everyday, with everyone at the club, even the security guards being a great help. I couldn't be happier and I hope, on a personal level, this will be the same next year. We will have to create happiness on the pitch ourselves."