Chairman José Castro speaks to the media
First team

CASTRO ASKS FOR "PATIENCE WHILE WE WAIT FOR 'THE MACHINE TO BE OILED'"

28/08/2017
The Chairman recognises performances aren't improving, but sees value in the results achieved and believes improvement will come. He also did not rule out the signing of more than one player, nor the expansion of the stadium

Patience. That was the word repeated by club Chairman José Castro this Monday when he spoke to the press after the traditional start-of-season floral offering to the Virgen de los Reyes. The team has had two wins and two draws at the start of this season, but the performances have not been the best. The Chairman seemed calm about this, trusting that with time, performances would get better: “We can't draw conclusions from yesterday's performance, we're still in August, I think we need to be patient, there's a new coaching staff, seven new players - players who individually aren't at their peak yet. When they reach it, it means the squad will be at its peak too. We need to be patient, but considering we played badly but still won where we barely ever win… The team played badly but they did what they needed to, the team played badly but quality won out. There was the Ganso goal, it will go down in history as one of the best goals the player scores”.

Castro affirmed “the coach isn't worried, he's taking responsibility because it's clear we've not played well in the first few matches, that's clear for all to see, but I repeat, we need to be patient… If we think back to the first two games of last season, the first was mad and we played terribly in the second in Villareal… We have to ride the wave, we have to be patient, because what we can be sure of is that we have a great squad… We have to wait for the machine to be oiled”.

"Even though we played badly we won in a stadium we barely ever win at"

It is a very real possibility that the machine could be oiled with the incorporation of a new player before the end of the transfer market. The Chairman José Castro even left open the possibility that more than one transfer could be made: “While the market is still open and there is the possibility of movement, it can happen, and why not at our club? It's no secret we are working hard to bring in a left-back and until the end of the market anything can happen… It's up to the coaches to make those decisions and to us to help them if they do. We have continuous conversations and he is happy with the squad, he also says we need a left back and it makes sense, because we can't rely on Escudero all season. And if there were to be another necessity, the last few days are where the market moves quickest and where surprises can happen”.

"The last few days are where the market moves quickest and where surprises can happen”.

The Chairman also made the absence of Nzonzi from training this Monday clear. In line with the protocol of the club he “he had personal leave, nothing other than that”. In that regard, he made it clear “there is no offer for him, there is nothing new”.

Castro also had words on Antonio Puerta on the tenth anniversary of his death: “It's a very special day because it is the tenth anniversary of the death of Antonio Puerta… A day on which we remember the player, and the person above all else. He was an example for all home-grown players, his left foot even led us to a final in Eindhoven”.

“We are going to see, if we continue growing, we will be able to expand the stadium"

On another matter, he pointed out that in the 2017/18 season, the number of season-ticket holders with a seat at the ground is at its highest and he admitted, in the face of rising season-ticket numbers which this season has reached 39,132, the possibility of expanding the stadium is already being looked at. “We are going to see, if we continue growing, we will be able to expand the stadium… We are going to look at the possibility, because we would like to have more space, above all else, for children”.

Finally, on the legal case surrounding Vitolo, the Chairman noted “there is a legal team studying the case and we plan go on the attack. I have said, say now and will continue to say that we will fight against every every actor who has wronged Sevilla FC because we know we have the legal right to, but there is no hurry. This will not be rushed but will continue without stopping”.