JOSÉ CASTRO: "IT'S AN UNBEATABLE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP WINNING. THE PLAYERS KNOW IT AND THEY WANT IT"

"One sees joy here, we are proud to keep fighting for important things"

He also spoke about the trip to Germany, with a smaller travelling party than usual: "It's a strange trip, but we have to adapt to the circumstances and comply with the strict established protocol, which we are complying with to perfection. We'd normally be able to be with lots of fans, as they always do, travelling and helping the team. I hope this passes quickly and we can return to normality soon, we need it".  

The Chairman also spoke the team: "They give me excitement, and make me very keen to achieve something important. They want to continue with their good play, both physically and technically, and also with the wins. What one sees here is joy, the fruit of excitement of being at a club like Sevilla FC, who knows the demands it places on everything it does. To the Sevilla fans, I send the same, excitement, courage and desires for the match to arrive. We have to be proud to be here and fight for the option of achieving something important". 

"We don't want excuses, we want hard work. No excuses, let's get on with it"

"It's more viable because there are less matches, but our rivals will be thinking the same because they are top teams, very important teams. The grass will give you reasons or take them away. We would have liked to play the matches as soon as LaLiga finished, but it wasn't to be. We don't want excuses, we want hard work. We want to win everything we can, it's an unbeatable opportunity and the players know it and want it. No excuses, let's get on with it", continued the Chairman.

José Castro was also asked about what another title would mean: "It would be the same as for any Sevillista, because I'm a Sevillista first and foremost, then the Chairman. If, in addition, at this moment, the Sevillista Pepe Castro can win the UEFA as chairman, even better. Eindhoven was the start of a great Sevilla in Europe. The key is winning, playing the same game that we have done during the season in a league as competitive as ours. If we're capable of maintaining this rhythm, we'll have many possibilities". 

"Lopetegui is our ideal coach: serious, hard-working and a real leader. I hope he is Sevilla FC manager for many years"

With regard to the rumours of shareholder movement in recent days, the president did not divert one iota of attention from what is really important, Sevilla FC: "It doesn't bother me, all that bothers me is what Sevilla FC do in this tie to achieve important things. The rest I don't care about, the important thing is the team and the entity. What is important is Sevilla FC". 

To finish, the Sevilla FC Chairman left a message of happiness after the success of the signing of Lopetegui and his immense work as manager, and another message for the fans: "When the manager arrived, some people didn't understand that he was the right one. If you speak to him for five minutes you know he is the ideal manager. He goes for everything, he's serious, hard-working, straightforward. We're so happy with him, because he has been capable of being a leader in the squad, respected, and now that there's no noise, we see him leading more than ever. He's got us into the Champions League with two games to spare, so I hope he is Sevilla FC manager for many years, because it will be a signal of having achieved important things". 

"The players feel the passion of the Sevilla fans from their homes"

"The message cannot be other than that of ambition, which is what we have in this club, going through each and every job. We're very excited. The players feel the passion from the houses of every Sevillista. I hope that soon we can all our enjoy ourselves together at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán", he added.