LOPETEGUI: "WE ARE WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A VERY GOOD YEAR, NO ONE HAS GIFTED US ANYTHING"

08/05/2021

"What makes this match different is that there is less and less time left to win the title"

Julen Lopetegui, the Sevilla FC coach, gave his pre-match press conference this afternoon ahead of tomorrow's match against Real Madrid at Valdebebas, in Matchday 35 of the league season. He began his press conference by highlighting that he is "expecting a top-quality, demanding match, as it always is against Real Madrid. What also makes this match different is that there is less and less time left to win the title". We're against a side that is also competing for LaLiga. They are such a good team, with great players and a great coach. There's no need for any other adjectives".

"Not playing in midweek means we have more time for recovery and we'll choose the players that we think are important. They're all important, not just the ones who start - sometimes the other players are crucial for achieving our objective. We have confidence in all of them, they are all important, and in every match we choose those who we think will help us to carry out our game plan. We have a few niggles at the moment, and let's hope that we can solve them between now and tomorrow", he continued.

"We want to do more of the same, approaching each match with hard work and enthusiasm"

Lopetegui stated that "the team is very excited ahead of this match and they're excited about where we are, we could improve on what we achieved last season. We've had a hugely difficult year, based on where we came from, and we want to do more of the same, approaching each match with hard work and enthusiasm. Sometimes you come into matches on the back of a win, sometimes on the back of a loss, and right now the team are so keen, there's no better incentive. We never stop to look back".

The coach commented on both his team and his counterpart in the Real Madrid dugout: "We are where we are because we've had a very good year, no one has gifted us anything. We will keep trying to improve on what we have, and now it's time to face Real Madrid, a side that we have not been able to win against recently. That's the excitement that is driving us right now, we will go there with the same excitement and ambition as always. Zidane's work speaks for itself, he is the right coach for where Real Madrid are".

"We'll try to get it right and help the players to achieve tomorrow's objective"

Before bringing his press conference to a close, Lopetegui added that "we have had some very even matches against them, but they have ended up winning. This is now a different match. We'll try to get it right and help the players to achieve tomorrow's objective".