First team

ESCUDERO: “THE DRIVE TO STAY UP THERE HAS TO EMPOWER US"

27/03/2017

The left-back, who recently renewed his contract with Sevilla FC until 2021, hopes that the international break will allow the team to "gather strength" and be able to "react" in the ten remaining games

Sergio Escudero spoke to the SFC Newspaper to analyse the difficult run in that Sevilla FC will have to face, hoping that the team can rediscover their best form after the international break. He spoke about the current situation, the immediate future and how he's feeling. This summer he will have spent two years at the club, but he has already signed a contract extension last month tying him to the club until 2021.

This is his second season at Sevilla FC, he's recently signed an extension, a sign that he feels comfortable here...

Yes, to be honest I'm really comfortable, in the year and a half that I've been here I've been treated really well, both me and my family. In fact my son was born in Seville and I hope to stay here for a long time.

Nonetheless, this season started with changes, the most important one being in the dugout. Is there a great deal of difference to the previous way of working?

You have to get used to everything. It was a difficult start, because of the style of play being very different, but you have to adapt to everything and I think that we're in a good place.

Was it difficult from a personal point of view?

Not too difficult. It's easier when you have the coaching staff by your side and, above all, your teammates that you spend every day with, and everything is easier with them.

"One of the differences that I've noticed the most from last year to this year is that I have more freedom to join in the attack, and more confidence"

A way of working and ideas that were difficult to take in, but bit by bit the team picked them up

Yes, the team has settled down over the course of the season, we've been getting stronger and getting things clearer in our minds day by day. We're on a good path and we have to keep working to finish the season how we all want to.

However, in the last few games we've seen a different, subdued Sevilla FC...

We've had lots of matches and everything has an effect...But I think that it's a bad run that every team goes through and it's happened to us now. Luckily we have these final ten games to react.

Although he's certainly never lacked the attacking side to his game, he's perhaps covering more ground this season. Is that something that Escudero feels comfortable with?

Yes, I like joining in with the attack, offering attacking work to the team. It's one of the differences that I've noticed the most from last year to this year, I have more freedom to join the attack and more confidence. I'm very happy with this new system.

"We've had lots of matches and everything has an effect...But I think it's a bad run that every team goes through"

Did the defeat to Atlético de Madrid have a big impact on the team?

It hurts, any defeat hurts, and more so if it's against a direct rival that ends up two points behind you. But we have to keep going, it's a bad run and we have to go out to win next Sunday.

A defeat ended a week that could have been historic but which, as it happened, didn't start well either with a home draw against Leganés...

Teams know us now, they study us, they watch videos...Every team needs something, if not at the bottom of the table, then to get into Europe or the Champions League...And they're all pushing. It's also because of them, it's not just that we're going through a bad patch. But there are ten matches left. The international break will be useful for us to gather strength, to rest and to prepare for what's left of the season.

"The international break will be useful for us to gather strength, to rest and to prepare for what's left of the season"

Does he feel that the team is prepared to get over this bad run and to tackle these ten finals?

Of course. The team has been prepared for the whole season and we've still got the same desire that we had at the start to finish the year well. We can still see ourselves up there, in third place. I think the season we're having is also a big achievement, trying to fight with the biggest teams. The drive to stay up there has to empower us.

There are six home matches, four away from home, and among those are visits to the Camp Nou, the Mestalla and the Bernabéu...

Every match is definitely going to be tough, but right now the most important one is next Sunday against Sporting. We have to get the three points and get back to winning ways at home. After that we have to go bit by bit, working for every game... And win, which is what this team wants.