Vincenzo Montella entrenador del Sevilla FC
First team

MONTELLA: "I'VE STUDIED CÁDIZ WELL AND THEY'RE A COMPACT AND FAST TEAM"

02/01/2018
The Italian manager did not confirm the return of N'Zonzi but said he's available for tomorrow and Saturday

Vincenzo Montella appeared before the press this Tuesday in his first pre-match press conference as Sevilla FC manager - facing Cádiz tomorrow in the Copa del Rey. The new coach made his feelings clear before the match: "I feel very good, curious and enthusiastic to start on this new adventure. Yesterday you could already notice that passion from the fans and I'm happy to be able to start".

In such a special week, he was asked about Saturday: "I know that the derby is different and I'd like to experience the city and the mood of the people. I feel that this is a different match and we have to play it with heart and passion but also with intelligence. We'll have to do enough for it but tomorrow is important to get us on track. Afterwards we'll think intensely about the derby".

"The derby is different but tomorrow is important to get us on track"

A familiar name to pop up was Steven N'Zonzi: "He's training well and he's an important player but I don't like to announce my starting eleven because it's always my intention to communicate it to the team first. In any case, he's available tomorrow and for Saturday. I've spoken to him and his attitude is to be with the team. I don't know if he'll stay until the end because I'm not in his head".

Yesterday Montella also had the chance to get to know the fans at first hand: "It's what I expected. A very present fanbase and a great help to the team. For us it's something very beautiful and also a responsibility, because we know the importance the team has for the people".

He was asked cautiously about his relationship with the Green and White Joaquín, who he coincided with at Fiorentina: "Before the opportunity to come to Sevilla arose I spoke with him several times because we get along very well. But we're rivals now and we haven't spoken on the phone, though after the game I will see him". Returning to football, he spoke about Muriel, who he also knows well: "I know what his qualities are. He needs to improve a bit in the area and we're working on that. I hold Ben Yedder in very high esteem as well because he's scored a lot of goals and he's a bit of a different player to Muriel. But we're going to work with the two of them". 

Montella doesn't believe that the only solution for the team is to sign players: "From what I've seen it's a team that hasn't scored much and has conceded a lot for the quality it has. We need more directness and to improve in defense throughout the team. I don't think it's a matter of signing a player but making the most of the quality of our footballers. I've just arrived and I'm evaluating the team. Alongside the Director of Football we'll see what we need calmly". 

"I'm evaluating the squad and along with the Director of Football we'll see what we need"

Though it wasn't the main topic, he naturally talked about tomorrow's opponents: "I've studied them well. It's a compact team - quick and good in transitions. They scored five against Betis in the second leg and they're dangerous. We need to play a complete game tomorrow". 

After confirming that he will use Navas as both a full-back and a winger, he finished off by comparing AC Milan with Sevilla FC: "Milan is a great side that has won a lot of trophies in the last thirty years, though maybe not so many in the last five. Sevilla are also a great side because they've been winning a lot of trophies for ten years and are playing habitually in Europe".