MONCHI: 'I AM HERE BECAUSE I WAS GIVEN AN IDEA OF SEVILLA THAT FITS IN WITH MY OWN'

He had to leave two years ago but now he is sure returning is the right call: 'I know there is a lot of work to do. A lot of good things have been done and I think I can contribute to this sustained growth. Last time I was here for 18 years. I don't know if I'll stay for just as long this time but I come with the full intention of being here as long as possible. I am coming to help Sevilla keep growing to be amongst the elite and fight for trophies.'

Monchi had nothing to do regarding the decision about Machín and he did not wish to speak about possible contract renewals: 'I have just arrived and I actually don't start until 1 April. Before having an opinion I have to find out more things and it would be crazy to say what everyone wants to hear. I will see first, I will have talks and then I will make the best decisions for the club. Regarding Machín, the club acted how they ought to act, I was not involved. I cannot have an opinion on something I had nothing to do with. The relevant people made the decision.' 

'Before forming an opinion regarding contract renewals, I have to get to know the situation better. Then I can make decisions'

He will wait and see what happens in the remainder of the season before making a decision regarding the manager: 'Joaquín Caparrós is the manager and all I want is to be by his side and for him to see me as an extra tool to help in the day-to-day of the club. What has to come will come. We have a great manager. He has coached 500 matches in La Liga; he has tons of experience. I have spoken with Joaquín twice and I will have to listen to his thoughts but it would be crazy to rule him out as right now he is in the best place to be the manager - he is the manager!'

He stated that he did not leave due to anyone and he explained his reasons: 'There are many urban legends. I did not leave due to any bad relationships with anyone, the same people in the club in my time are still here. If I've come back it's because that is completely untrue. I left and I ought to explain it again: I thought I was becoming obsolete. I needed to keep growing professionally. After 18 years doing the same thing, you need to discover new things. That's what motivated me to leave. I wanted a new challenge and I had many options. Now, once more, I've had to evaluate Sevilla's offer against others. Sevilla's project convinced me more. I was a Sevillista in Roma but I worked 24/7 for Roma. Now I will continue being a Sevillista and I will work 24 hours for Sevilla.'

'I did not leave due to any bad relationships with anyone, the same people in the club in my time are still here. I thought I was becoming obsolete'

There will be more demands on Monchi this time than in his first spell but he is well aware of that: 'I know my arrival may increase pressure regarding the objectives we have but I have evaluated that. Many people have told me that I have made the wrong decision, that you should never go back. But I have evaluated it all and I want to be here. I know people will be looking at me but pressure doesn't bother me. I was under a lot of pressure in Roma and that helped me to grow.'

Although he left very high standards, Monchi believes he can achieve even more: 'Impossible is nothing and stranger things have happened. Sevilla can grow even more. The sporting project that Sevilla embarked upon in 2003 is the base of the club's success and a lot of people learned from Sevilla. I hope to make another step up and put what I have learned into practice to help the club grow. The better you are, the more difficult it is but there is always room to grow. I'm not one to promise titles but I will promise growth in all the sporting aspects.'

'The first thing I asked the president was what they wanted of me. I liked what they said and that was a base to work from'

If Sevilla has grown it has been down to the sale of players and Monchi defended the system: 'We needed to sell players previously to create a project. We sold to grow and have a squad above what we could achieve with just the club's income. We should not be afraid to sell but the necessity to do so is much lower thanks to the amount we have grown. Every club sells and it's a question of evaluating things and then making the decision. What's good is that the intelligent running of the club has continued and it is in good shape. To keep investing in the squad, selling players is a possibility.' To finish, Monchi offered a thought on his return: 'I have received many messages, as well as calls and people I have seen on the street. In this world where being happy is increasingly more difficult with all that is happening in the world, I'm satisfied if I've made just one person happy.'