ALONSO: "THE TEAM HAS OPTIONS AND THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP MANY CONCEPTS AND BE DOMINANT"

After leading his first training session at the club, Diego Alonso gave his first interview as head coach to Sevilla FC Official Media.

The Uruguayan signed a deal earlier today to manage the team until the end of the season, and took charge of training this evening.

He kicked off his opening interview by discussing his move to the club and the welcome that he has received: "It's been a long day, as was yesterday, but that's what comes with these opportunities. We're very happy. I wanted to be at this first session despite the fact it was put together by the rest of the coaching staff, I wanted to be on the pitch with the players and show my commitment to everything we want.

I'm grateful for the welcome, it's been a difficult time for them too with the departure of another coach. They've been very natural and warm. As the days go by we will start to work in depth on how we want to play, what we want to produce.... Hopefully we'll take advantage of the two days we have left this week and then next week to make progress."

"We will build to be dominant in every way"

Alonso offered his thoughts on the current team: "I have an assessment of what I have seen in the team. Coaches always have an inheritance from the previous coach, so we have to know what worked and take what is positive. You can't get rid of everything because there are some very useful things.

Last year they were very competitive and this year they've pressed aggressively and in transitions.... I like those traits. Then there will be my style, my way of seeing football and I will try to convey that to the players. First we have to work and convince them with tools. We will make mistakes and we will get things right, but we will build to be dominant in every way.

It's going to depend on our ability to see how much time we need to achieve what we want. We have elite, extremely capable players. We have a lot of confidence in their qualities, that's also why we are here, aside from the size of the club. All this will allow us to grow with the traits we want. I have always believed that it is not systems that are important, but the tools and what you have. What we want to do is more important.

The team has options and the ability to develop many concepts of the game to be dominant when pressing and in the build-up. That's a challenge, of course, but it is the shortest way to win. When you know why you win, you do it again and you stop doing what went wrong when you lost."

"You have to build and make yourself improve"

The new coach then discussed adapting to the club and managerial influences: "You always have to be able to adapt to a new place. I was a player here and I know a bit about it. My experience in different places has made me more flexible so that I can settle in more quickly. You have to find the right measure to be better.

When you arrive at a new club, you can't just rush in. You have to build, see what there is at clubs with very capable people, and make yourself improve. You grow from there and with this, the club and the fans are the ones who win.

Luis Aragonés has perhaps been the most significant case in my career. He was always great with me, with very nice details. He was always very kind and open to anything we could exchange. The coach who most influenced me was one I had when I was 21, Julio Rivas, Uruguayan, and I said I wanted to be a coach thanks to him. Then I learnt a lot about methodology with Rafa Benítez, as well as countless others who helped me throughout my career."

"You never know what is the detail that makes you win, so you have to take care of all of them"

Diego then explained his passions and his first impression of Spain when he signed for Valencia 23 years ago: "I would say that I dedicate the maximum amount of time to my profession, that's how I live it. It is my passion. My passions are football and my family, that's where all my time goes.

Leadership is another fundamental part, motivation, not just methodology. You never know what is the detail that makes you win, so you have to take care of all of them to make each other better. My main goal is to improve the players because if that happens we are going to be better, for sure.

The first image I have of my arrival in Spain, at Valencia, in the 2000/01 season, Sevilla were in the Second Division and yet I saw the stadium packed to the rafters with their fans driving them on. I know what this club and its fans mean."

"The demands make us better, they make us stronger"

To finish, Alonso focused on the demands at the club and looked ahead to his first match in eleven days' time: "Each place, each club has their own demands that are unique. Comparing them isn't good. Every place I've been at has had a lot of people behind me, even in divided cities like here. Logically, I understand the pressure that may be there, but I take it in a very good way, I live in a very positive way. I always take it in my favour. The demands make us better, they don't diminish us, they make us stronger.

The most important thing for us now is the first match and, if possible, we have to prepare well over the next few days for it. We have to give the players the right tools for what we're going to ask of them. Then there's the motivational side, which we have to convey to them.However, I believe that the key is to give them the tools so that they can feel much more comfortable on the pitch."