LUIS ALBERTO: 'LAZIO HAVE IMPROVED A LOT THIS MONTH'

Luis Alberto Romero will return to his old home on Wednesday 20 February, but before that he will have to host Sevilla with his Lazio in the first leg. The ex-Sevilla academy player spoke on SFC Radio's 'Solo el Sevilla' this Tuesday, speaking about what is such an emotional tie for him: 'It's special due to my past here and how much I wanted to play here again. It's true it's just another game but for me it is a bit more special.' Furthermore, he spoke about his time in Italy: 'I realised that what I was doing wasn't good enough for the top level. I refined some things and I'm happy for now but I know I can make another step forward. This has been my dream since I was a boy and now I'm living it.'

Regarding December's draw, Luis Alberto was convinced that it was fate he would return to Sevilla: 'I had in my head that there was 80% of a chance we'd get Sevilla and 20% Betis. I knew I was coming back to Sevilla one way or another and I really want to play again in the Sánchez-Pizjuán, it was my home. All my family and friends will be there and that always makes you more motivated, I have to make the most of this chance.'

Speaking about the teams, the Granadian stated 'Sevilla are similar to us, they have a strong midfield. I think everything depends on Banega, Sarabia and Franco Vázquez. If they're playing at their best Sevilla are a far better side. We know that they are one of the best teams in knock-out ties, especially in Europe, but we're hungry after what happened last year and we are ready to push on. The team has improved a lot this month and we needed it, the coming months are very important.