First team

JOAN JORDÁN: “THE TEAM IS BECOMING STRONG AT THE BACK AND IT'S KEEPING THE BALL WELL”

01/08/2019

The footballer confirms that he feels good and is sure that he has adapted well: "I've been pleasantly surprised by the familiarity at the club and in the dressing room".

On this occasion, it's Joan Jordán who assesses the pre-season so far at his new club, highlighting the speed at which he's getting used to the ideas of the new manager. "It's true that the players are adapting quickly to what the manager wants, the ideas, the feelings. It's important that new players bring that eagerness along, more so than the players who were already here. The squad is good, healthy and eager to learn. Since the management has brought us here to fit into a style of play, little by little we're making progress to start the season well and we feel good. There's still improvements we can make, but you can see a Sevilla that we want to see.

Jordán pointed out that Lopetegui "insists on us focusing on the defence, although from the outside you can see that composure on the ball and the vertical play. The team is becoming strong at the back and it's keeping the ball well". The good results that the team have picked up during pre-season come from this. "Winning always helps, but I've been in teams which have had great pre-seasons and then the good feelings don't continue into the season. Here the results go well with the feeling, and we want to improve because the players are really involved. Although there's a few weeks left, we want to start competing and it's clear that these last few days will be useful for the finishing touches. I see a team that's able to compete and win the first game.

Regarding the competition for places, Jordán confessed that he likes it: "there's a lot of us and there's at least two players for each position. It's a very high level and it's positive because it stops anyone from relaxing. When you're the only player for the position, you relax a bit unconsciously and it isn't good for you or the team. We will need everyone and if we're united it will be a good year. Also, he confirms that, in the manager's system, "I feel more comfortable as an inside forward, although I can play as a 6, an 8 or a 10. I can play as part of a double pivot, at Eibar I played as a second striker and I've played in a diamond and on the wing. I've played all over, from midfield to up front, but maybe I see myself best as an inside forward.

"I've adapted very well and I want to keep on improving, my style fits in well with this team."

Asked about the dressing room and his relationship with his new teammates, the centre midfielder has no doubts: "It's great. Adapting has been very good and I've been pleasantly surprised by the familiarity at the club and the dressing room. I'm an open person, I get on really well with everyone but maybe Reguilón, Óliver, Pozo...but I get on well with everyone. Speaking about the team, I've been adapting very well, I want to keep on improving and I'm very happy. My style fits in very well here, although at Eibar I learnt many things that can make me a more complete footballer.

One of these is set-pieces: "I've got a lot of belief in my set-pieces and at my former clubs it's helped us win points. The manager trusts me and if I have to take the responsibility, I will. Éver has got it too, but the most important thing is that the team benefits from them.

"I've arrived at a historic club that has done very important things and I've come across very kind people."

For Jordán, the leap is important in his career: "I came from a family-like, humble club like Eibar and it's a big change. Here, it's a historic club that has done very important things, and what I've found is that the people are very kind. Immediately, they've helped me settle in and I'm grateful that they help in this way. I've also been surprised because I came from a club which pressed high up and tried to win a second ball. I had in mind the image of Lopetegui at Porto, the national team and Real Madrid, of keeping the ball well and attractive football. I've been surprised by the play off the ball, winning it back quickly and being incisive. It's been good for me because I learnt it at Eibar. We understand each other well on and off the ball".

It's an important leap, but it isn't one that scares him: "I'm a person that isn't bothered by the timing, the age... you can always improve and you have to be hungry in football and in life at all levels. I'm here for that and I'm going to give it my all".