LOPETEGUI: "IT'S A FINAL; WE HAVE TO HANDLE EVERYTHING WITH AMBITION AND DESIRE"

05/08/2020
"Fernando has improved and we'll wait until tomorrow to decide the eleven"

The Sevilla FC manager, Julen Lopetegui, has given his pre-match press conference alongside first team captain Jesús Navas, ahead of tomorrow's UEFA Europa League Round of 16 encounter against AS Roma, at the MSV-Arena in Duisburg. The Basque manager started by highlighting that "our opponents are on a very positive run, combined with good play, they have hit the ground running and have a good squad and manager. They finished as the most in-form side in Serie A, but all this is not under our control. We're going into this with so much excitement, by forgetting about the difficulties, we have to handle everything with ambition and desire. We have to focus on ourselves, show our best side and play well, it's a final and there is no other way of bettering such a good side like Roma". 

"Since March, some very volatile things have happened and oblige you to always adapt. It is a situation that has to give us extra energy to overcome any difficulty. We have the healthy intention of beating a great opponent, everything else is not under our control and we'll adapt to them. The team has shown a great mentality against an unfavourable situation, the excitement is what has to guide us", continued Lopetegui, about tomorrow's tie. 

"Since March, things have happened which oblige us to adapt and find extra energy to overcome any difficulty"

The manager also spoke about Gudelj and Fernando: "It's certain that Gudelj is not here and that Fernando finished the LaLiga season with an injury, but he has improved and we will wait until tomorrow to make our final decision. We will put out the best eleven that we can, but matches aren't just won by the eleven players who start. We have today and tomorrow to define the eleven who will go out at the start". 

Finally, Lopetegui spoke about fully focusing on tomorrow's match against the Italians: "We don't waste energy thinking about the post-match, we only think on the pre-match, to go into the match as prepared as possible. We have to do many things very well to compete with Roma and beat them. We have a limit to our energy and it is dedicated to preparing for tomorrow's game".