QUIQUE SÁNCHEZ FLORES: "WE COMPETED WITH PERSONALITY"

Quique Sánchez Flores summed up his first Gran Derbi after Sunday night's draw at the Villamarín: ‘In the build-up to the game you start to feel a very charged and emotional atmosphere. We knew that it's a game which requires a lot of energy, but our players relished this because there's a lot at stake. It's like a final. We played against a great team, in front of 60,000 of their supporters as well as 500 of our own, whom we have to thank. We were competitive, we managed to come away with a result despite the penalty and some of the mistakes we made, but we showed more personality. We have taken some small steps forward in the last few games and I think tonight showed that we're still moving in the right direction."

Although the team started well, a questionable refereeing decision changed the course of events: "We were doing well when the penalty came. We were very tight defensively, but when [Dodi] Lukebakio turns, the ball hits him on the arm and it's a strange thing to do. If the referee thinks we have an advantage, we have to respect the decision. There was a moment when the same foul was for one side and not for the other. I understand the pressure of it all, the pressure and the moment to make quick decisions. There have been some that could have gone our way, but we have to support the referees and make life as easy as possible for them."

He closed by talking about Sevilla's goal scorer on the night, Kike Salas: ‘We've always said that the youth players light up the path for those following in their footsteps. Kike has been on the fringes of the starting XI all week and in the end he came on at the right time, provided some consistency and recovered a lot of balls. He also scored a great goal. It's a joy to see homegrown players flourishing at this level."