First team

CASTRO: "WE'VE SIGNED OUR FIRST CHOICE"

30/12/2017

The Chairman assured the press that Montella was the first choice to take over from Berizzo, indicated that N'Zonzi starts again and that transfers are postponed until the coach gets to know the squad

Chairman of Sevilla FC, José Castro, made it known that the behaviour of the club has been "totally normal" in hiring a new coach, as "when you're looking to hire a professional, it's logical that you go for several options. The winter break gave us that opportunity, the chance to be sure... We're in a club where, beyond the budget, we deal in feelings and we have to try and not get things wrong... We've had days to work and look at the different options and I can indeed say that we've signed our first choice. That was Vincenzo and we are happy about that".

The Chairman explained that "we've dismissed our coach, who is a magnificent professional and who we were happy with because the team wasn't giving us the sensations we wanted... We're talking about a club could still achieve everything. Two points off our primary objective, five away from third, in the last-16 of the Champions League, in the Copa del Rey..."

Castro also said that "speaking about transfers at the moment doesn't make any sense", because Montella now "has to take the lead and see how the team is - to see what positions need reinforcing".

Asked if Everton had submitted an offer for N'Zonzi, the Chairman said "no offer has arrived for N'Zonzi. He's one more player in the squad. He wasn't playing on account of a technical decision and now he can go back to playing because of a technical decision".

He added: "What we want is to have good players who help us achieve our sporting goals, which is the way it should be... Now we have a new coach, I'm sure he'll speak with N'Zonzi, he'll see how he is, but N'Zonzi is one more Sevilla player, who is training as one more player".

Finally, asked if Eduardo Berizzo's dismissal came at the best moment with regards to his illness, José Castro said "whoever says that doesn't know the reality", that "our club has high demands and we thought there were not good sensations in our game and ultimately the results weren't there either... The agreement we've had with Eduardo has always been aside from his illness because that's what he wanted and what he said. We're talking about a technical decision because we saw that we needed to do a 180 degree turn".