First team

KANOUTÉ: "THEY'VE BUILT A COMPLETE SQUAD, AND ONE WHICH IS INTERESTING"

08/08/2017

The striker explained that "the Antonio Puerta Trophy has emotional and emotional weight to it which is very important for everyone"

With the occasion of the Antonio Puerta Trophy just around the corner, Frédéric Kanouté appeared on the SFC Radio programme Sólo Fútbol Club, to explain the importance of the match to listeners. "It's a very special game for all the Sevilla fans, it's a very sentimental and emotional fixture for everyone", he pointed out. Similarly, he mentioned the unique moment he experienced a few days prior when he graced the pitch of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán during the presentation of Jesús Navas: "Everything in that moment was beautiful. Lots of memories came to my mind. Being in contact with the fans like that was a one-off, they're the best fans in the world without question. It was something really special and even more so given that I experienced it with my friend Jesús".

Although he is no longer part of the Sevilla squad, the player closely follows everything happening at the club, and had some things to say regarding the squad being assembled for the 17/18 season. "The truth is that I really like the look of it. I think it's a very competitive squad. They've built a very interesting team. Next week we will be able to say a lot more. It's still early to say anything for certain, but hopefully they can get through the tie. That would give the team a lot of confidence and morale which would drive them on to have a good season. As for the different elements of this squad, I think it's a complete one, and interesting", he explained.

"Getting through the tie would give the team confidence and morale"

Speaking of the Champions League play-off tie, the striker wanted to highlight how difficult it will be: "I believe Sevilla can win the tie, and it's very important that they do. Sevilla have a very interesting team, a very competitive one. It'll be a difficult match but Sevilla can do it. At the start of the season we don't know how the team will play, how they will react but I think they can get through this phase". The player, who himself played in a European round in Turkey against Fenerbahçe in the 07/08 season, explained what experiencing football there is like, and what kind of atmosphere the team should expect: "It will be a very fiery match, crazy, you could even say. I remember that when we went out for a walk in the morning we were already seeing the Fenerbahçe fans out in the street and it was difficult to even walk. The atmosphere there is incredible. I have very fond memories of that because the Sevilla FC fans were very lively. Turkish football is good quality and competitive. We have to be careful in that tie".

"The match in Turkey will be a very fiery one but Sevilla FC can do it "

He also analysed the possibility of him becoming part of the setup at Sevilla in the future, and although he didn't rule it out, he explained that right now he is focused on other things: "In football, both on and off the pitch, anything is possible. Right now I haven't had any conversation with the club in that respect, and also at this point in time I'm very involved in my own projects. I always feel at home when I'm in Seville, whether I'm working for the club or not. There are always possibilities but right now I'm working on my own things, which I'm really enjoying, just like I enjoy watching Sevilla every time they play". One of the things keeping the former Sevilla star busy is his Foundation and the "Children's Village" in Mali. "We have more than sixty children in the children's village. We are working very hard because it's a big challenge and we have to work a lot because we take care of their education, their development. I go there two or three times a year to follow the project closely. This is something very important to me. I always say that football is one thing but that this is very important to me. This will leave a mark almost more important than the goals I've scored", he stressed.

Finally, he wanted to emphasise that his love for Sevilla is so great that while wearing the Sevilla shirt he rejected lucrative offers to play for other clubs: "I had offers to leave Sevilla FC but I always wanted to stay at the club. I never paid attention to the offers which came my way. I was young at that time and the best option was always to stay. I was very comfortable here, I had a lot of success and the the challenges we took part in were very important. I loved the club and the fans and that's why I never thought about leaving".