GUDELJ: "WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE EUROPA LEAGUE MEANS FOR SEVILLA FC"

Nemanja Gudelj, the central midfielder for Sevilla FC, was the player who joined José Luis Mendilibar at the press conference to preview the match with Manchester United in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League against Manchester United. The Serbian started off by noting how “it is a very important match. Each game at this stage of the season is like a final. We take each match as it comes. We are very excited for this fixture.”

Gudelj also praised the development of the team: “The team is very confident. As the coach said, we have a lot of quality. When we were losing at Old Trafford we did not panic as we knew that we were capable of coming back. We changed certain things and we wanted to play for longer so that we could score a third goal.”

The midfielder did not hide the team’s excitement at the chance of creating an exciting end to the season: “Sevilla FC always wants to win every match. At the start of the season, it was tough. We have a lot of quality and are confident ahead of tomorrow. We see each game as a final and the next one is tomorrow, and that is all we are thinking about.”

Asked about the fortune that the team had in last week’s draw, Gudelj analysed the hard work of the squad at Old Trafford: “I don’t think that we got that result because of luck or because Manchester got nervous. In the final part of the game we were in control and we put a lot of pressure on them. We felt as if we could score. We felt United were scared. They couldn’t match us physically with the intensity we were bringing. If we had had five more minutes, we would have scored a third.”

"We have a lot of quality and are confident ahead of tomorrow"

“What the coaching staff asks of us is that we match our opponent in every department, because of the quality that we have. If we do that, we will keep on winning. Taking few risks at the back, being strong in the one-on-one duels and finishing our chances, attacking a lot. Our message to the fans is that they keep on doing what they have done for the last four years that I have been here. I can only say thank you, and I hope that you will be our twelfth man once again”, the Serbian said.

Nemanja Gudelj also noted the importance of Sevilla’s good form ahead of the clash tomorrow: “I think that this team deserves more than we have got this season. We have gone through a difficult period but we are winning matches and getting more confidence. The fixture tomorrow comes at a good time. We all know the importance of the Europa League for Sevilla.”

Finally, he refused to place any significance on the subject of his contract renewal, as he made it clear that the only thing we should focus on is the match tomorrow: “It’s not about me, we have several crucial games coming up. I can say that we are speaking, I am happy and I hope that everything goes well. I feel at home and I am confident that we will sort something. Nevertheless, the only important thing is the match tomorrow.”