SAÚL: "THIS SUNDAY IT IS HIGH STAKES AND WE NEED TO BE UNITED AS ONE"

At another 'Sácale Partido al Cole' event on Wednesday, Saúl Ñíguez spoke to the media about the positive vibes after the win against Real Sociedad: “We are happy after a great victory and now with the chance to make it back-to-back wins. We are working well, excited and looking forward to the game at the weekend." He added: "The key is to work hard and trust in what we do. The team is getting better and better, it has our own identity and identifies with what we do. Away from home, we are getting very good results, and at home, it has been a bit more of a struggle. We have to tweak a few things so that we can get positive results in front of our fans."  

Regarding his role as captain, he assured that “it is a decision of the club and the teammates and due to my experience. I think I have the highest number of career appearances of anyone in the squad and it is important to show that experience to the younger players. The team is very young, and giving them captaincy at the moment might be difficult. They suggested it to me, I accepted and it's my turn to lead because Gudelj, Suso and Marcao did not play. I am very proud to captain this football club." 

About the criticism, he recognises that everyone always wants more: “It's all a matter of perspective. I have not heard whistles, but I respect it and I understand that because I am Saúl they demand more from me. I am the top assist maker and there are expectations of me. I also want more. When I signed I was suspended for my first game. Then I got a red card, the injury, but the numbers are there. Despite everything, I demand and want more." And returning to those six assists, he made it clear that “it's the best year of my career and I've played 15 games. Sometimes I'm playing further forward and I can be closer to giving more assists. It is an area of my game that I am improving but sometimes I have not had much luck in front of goal." For this reason he feels he can still improve: "I feel my best is yet to come. I'm getting better and better but I think I can still improve. My first game back I got an assist for Dodi's goal but it can be really hard to come back from tendon injuries. With the confidence of the coach and my teammates, you feel better." 

"I'm getting better and better and I think my best has yet to come" 

Now it's time to beat Athletic at home: “There is a lot of pressure in the atmosphere, that's the reality, but we have to see it as something positive. We have to try to show that we are Sevilla FC, a historic club. Whenever I have come here, it has always been a good atmosphere. We have to transmit that ambition and that desire. That we are all one. A great team is coming, but we have to make it hard for them. The fans are always there, but we have to give them something to identify with us and keep supporting us until the very end. Whether we win or lose, we have to be all together. There is pressure at home and it is more difficult for us because we have struggled recently at home to win but I hope it will be a turning point and that they will help us to take the next step." 

Regarding his future at the club, he commented that “it does not depend 100% on me. You can see that I am happy and grateful for the affection they show me. I feel loved in the dressing room and in the club and I try to give my best." He finished by talking about the recent progress: "Recently we have been playing well as a team on the counterattack and I think we are the team with the fourth most clean sheets in the league. That underlines the defensive work. There are players who give everything defensively to then allow us to break into space. Eighty percent of our goals come on the counter."