First team

MACHÍN: 'TOMORROW IS A FINAL AND WE ALL HAVE TO SHOW THAT EXTRA COURAGE'

12/12/2018

An extended media appearance from the manager, in which he spoke, on top of sporting matters, about the institutional issues and the possible reaction from the fans

Pablo Machín attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against FC Krasnodar and his first answers were about the current institutional issues at the club: 'I very much agree with what Sergi has said. We're professionals and we need to focus on what happens out on the pitch. Beyond that, I think that there's a big difference between institutional matters and sporting matters, which is the bit that concerns us. We all want to win and for that, we need a strong connection with the fans, who are going to show that they are with the team. I don't have the right to ask anything from where I stand because we're the ones that have to give first, but the people are smart enough to realise that what we need is for them to cheer us on through 90 minutes until the end. What needs to happen with the club will be decided somewhere else. Sevillismo is both the team and the fans and we're nothing without each other. We have to show that extra bit of courage.'

Delving deeper into the topic, he added 'the situation is what it is and we have to face it. The meeting was two days ago and it was already planned that way so we can't get distracted or spend our energy on something that isn't going to help us win. We're Sevillistas and we want to go as far as possible, we have a final in which we have to do everything we can to overcome a challenge which isn't going to be easy. Beyond the glamour that the opponents might have, they're an excellent team that have gone six matches without defeat in their league and have been within a point of being top. They've been solid throughout the group stage and we're going to need all our energy. It's without a doubt a final for me and we have to win it, not to win a title, unfortunately, but to keep our chances alive of bringing glory to Sevilla and Sevilllismo. We only have one option, which is to win.' Machín believes that the fans will know how to compartmentalise the situation: 'I can understand everything and we're all grown-ups here, but with your question, you're already saying what would be better. From the time that I have been here and historically, the fans have been the greatest asset that this club has and they're clever enough to know where they are and what they want. If they want everything to move forward, they will cheer us on for sure.'

'Beyond the glamour that the opponents might have, they're an excellent team'

In terms of the squad list, he spoke about Navas' return: 'If he's on the list it's because he's ready. There are moments when you have to take certain risks and if we're calling the match a final, we have to take them. I think it's a small one because he's trained with us the past few days, but I don't know if it's ideal for him to play 90 minutes. He's going to give everything and he's one of the symbols of Sevillismo, so he's desperate to give his all.' Furthermore, he spoke about Kjaer's absence: 'He has some discomfort in his hamstrings and experience tells us that if Simon isn't feeling good we could suffer later by losing him to an injury. It's a match that everyone needs to be at 100% and we're not going to risk it. The defenders that are in the squad are capable of getting us the win in this match and get past the group stages.'

The manager did not shy away from the responsibility of explaining why they have arrived at matchday six with no margin of error: 'In the end, if we're in this position it's because we haven't done enough to deserve more, or because the opponents have pushed us and because they're stronger than what people thought when the draw came out. What we've done up until now is in the past and what we have to focus on is what comes from this point on. It's in our hands because we'll top the group with a win.' He then went back to speaking about Krasnodar: 'They're a great team with good footballers, physically and technically. They're a very direct team that have shown that they know how to d their homework. They're going to come aiming for first place and they will be very competitive. They're dangerous on the transition but they also know how to be solid and they have the ability to win any given match.'

'It's in our hands because we'll top the group with a win'

Finally, after congratulating Vaclík for his La Liga Player of the Month award for November, he spoke about Promes: 'Everyone has to play where the team needs them to play. At the start, we thought about playing him as an attacking midfielder, but I thought it was best to play him out wide because he has the assets to play as a wing-back. He has more conviction when he's attacking bt what makes him stand out is his readiness to learn things that he's not used to. The other day he showed his physical capabilities and he was committed in defence. He's another option and the more versatile we are, the better chance we'll have.'