JOSÉ CASTRO: "I FEEL THAT I HAVE FULFILLED MY DUTY AS A SEVILLISTA AND AS A PRESIDENT"

Following José María del Nido Carrasco's confirmation as incoming club president his predecessor José Castro, spoke about the ten years he enjoyed in the role. "The change has come naturally, as foreseen and as included in the agreement made by the majority shareholders in 2019. Four years on it is therefore now time for this change, which we are now making." 

Looking back on his time he said that he feels he completed his duty "as a Sevillista and as a president. Above all, there is one thing that stands out, and that is the results. Ten seasons out of ten seasons in which we have played European football, seven of those ten in the Champions League, something that has never happened in our club's history, and above all winning five Europa League trophies, which in ten years is one every two years. I think this is an important milestone. We have also played 14 finals. I think that is extraordinary in sporting terms and then in institutional terms I think we have also improved our infrastructure a lot. We have renovated this stadium and we have refurbished the Estadio Jesús Navas, especially the main stand. 

"I believe that the secret to these achievements comes from work, perseverance, experience
and, above all, trust in people. I believe in trusting our club's employees, in the different areas of the club, giving them freedom and demanding results, not just from employees, but also from the club's coaches, players and others. I believe that a club is not made by just one person, it is the consistent work of many people and it reminds me of all that Roberto Alés did in his time. Of course, I also remember Rafael Carrión who did important work when I first joined the board" he continued.  

"A club is not made by just one person, it is the consistent work of many people"

He also spoke about when he first became president: "I think it was a hard time for the club because my predecessor left in an ugly, complicated way which created an institutional and reputational crisis at the club. I believe that we naturally grew again, we went back to doing things in a way that put the club in good stead and above all, the return to achieving sporting milestones, which is the aim of the club. Some predicted that my presidency would last six months, and it has lasted ten years. I remember it with joy, although it's true that there have also been challenges like changes in coaches and the pandemic. I think we have done a lot of good things, despite the setbacks. I think the club has grown in all areas, institutionally and internationally and I believe that we have left the groundwork to grow even more. The club is growing and becoming more and more important in Europe and the world."

One of the darkest moments at the club during his presidency Castro explained was the death of Reyes. "A player that gave his all for Sevilla at different times in the club's history. He was very important to us. The affection I have for him and his family is because they are from my town Utrera. I saw him grow little by little. Then here at our club, he became one of the most important players in the world. The pandemic was also a hard time, for the club, for many fans, and for many Sevillistas in general. Also, it was difficult with the coaches because you are a person and you also like them as people, so relieving them of their duties also affects you, and then on a personal level of course nobody likes criticism. In the last two years, I have received a lot of criticism because the team has not been doing well, even though we were able to win a trophy last year."

On what is left to be done Castro said: "Of course, there are always things to be done and we have to continue. Many of the issues have already been resolved and can be improved. The plan we had in mind, the master plan for the training ground, which has to expand, with the pandemic was made more difficult. Let's not forget that we have done a lot of things. We have not only improved the infrastructure, the training ground, and the stadium but also we have made progress economically and internationally. We won five European titles and put Sevilla on the map. We have also hosted a Europa League final in our stadium which was a model for a final." 

"Now it is time to help our president from a different role within the framework of the legality
and legitimacy that we have in our pact. I have always been a loyal person, I was loyal to my president. José María del Nido Carrasco has been loyal during these four years, and I will always be loyal to what I sign up for and what needs to be done for the good of Sevilla Fútbol Club. José María del Nido Carrasco is a person who has been a long-time member of the club, working for the club, and who already has a certain amount of experience but he is also young. I believe that he is going to do well and we are going to be here to help him. We must always fight together for the good of the club and the good of the president. We must help him to succeed because by succeeding, the president will help the club that we all love." 

"I have always been a loyal person, I was loyal to my president. José María del Nido Carrasco has been loyal during these four years, and I will always be loyal for the good of the club" 

On his hopes for 2024, he commented: "I ask for unity and stability. Both are necessary for success. I hope that we don't have as many problems with injuries as we have had in the last few years, which has been something out of the ordinary. I hope for health, togetherness, and stability. Stability and unity are already provided by the pact we have, but I would also like to see people from the outside not threatening it." 

He also wished to thank people for his time as president. "I have to thank all of you Sevillistas who have supported me over the last 10 years. Thank you to all the coaches, and all the employees of the club who have worked and given their best. To all the people who have been in Sevilla in one form or another in recent years, that all have contributed to achieving these important milestones we have reached. Five trophies, ten years in Europe, seven in the Champions League and so many more. The Champions League is important. It's where the big teams in Europe are. Therefore, I believe that we should be very grateful to the board members who have been involved in the important decisions. Finally, thank you to my family because they have suffered too and without them, I would not have been able to dedicate myself to the role."

To close he left one final impression. "When I became President it wasn't in my plans or ambition, but it came down to me and I have done the best that I could. I believe that we have all had the opportunity to share our experiences with others. We have collaborated on that. We have worked hard to ensure the club does not fall into the hands of others and we must work to continue this."