First team

MONCHI: "WE'VE DONE WHAT WAS NECESSARY AND URGENT AND NOW THE OUTLOOK IS MUCH BETTER"

01/02/2023
"​​​​​​​I think that in my career I have been proven right more than I have wrong, but at the same time I have made several errors that have been made clear with the results we have had. I recognise this, but now I think we have fixed this to a certain extent. When something doesn't go to plan the biggest mistake you can make is by dwelling on it", Monchi highlighted.

Monchi, the General Sporting Director of Sevilla FC, appeared at midday for the usual press conference which takes place when the transfer market has closed, in this case for the 22/23 January transfer market. Monchi started by stating that: "making a judgement, whether that be positive or negative, is subjective. What has been done was necessary and urgent, and we will have to wait to see the results. With such a bad first half of the season, it is clear that what we did in the summer was not perfect. We had to try and correct these errors and I think that is something we have done. I am satisfied from my side, I think that the picture now is better and that is what we always want to do in the transfer windows, and this has been one in which we dedicated a lot of time into finding the best solutions."

"I did the planning for this transfer market and on the whole, we have got who we wanted. For the coach, we have brought in some players who were necessary to cover different positions and give us more depth. When making these calls, you either get it right or wrong. I think that in my career I have been proven right more than I have wrong, but at the same time I have made several errors that have been made clear with the results we have had. I recognise this, but now I think we have fixed this to a certain extent. When something doesn't go well, the biggest mistake you can make is by dwelling on it. A central defender, a physical central midfielder and two wingers were all necessary," he added.

"The most simple change to make was to bring Lucas back. He knows the club, he didn't need time to adapt and he was the right fit for what the coach wanted"

Monchi was asked about the possible exits of Adnan Januzaj and En-Nesyri: "Januzaj has not featured regularly under Lopetegui nor Sampaoli, so we thought that the best action to take would be for him to leave. There have been offers, but neither the player nor the club have been convinced by them. If nothing else comes in, he will stay here to train and try to get back to the form he showed at Real Sociedad, which in my opinion was very good. Youssef has had offers from Germany, England and France, but once again, not one particularly impressed him as well as us. He wanted to stay here and we trust him."

"The most simple change to make was to bring Lucas back. He is an energetic player that was being set aside and unappreciated at Ajax and he was the right fit for what the coach wanted. He knows the club, he didn't need time to adapt and he came here with a lot of motivation... He arrived and he played, simple. I genuinely believe that we had to take advantage of that option because when Lucas left it wasn't the same manager and now Jorge is here", explained Monchi after the Argentine returned from his loan. 

"When you come off the back of a record-breaking success, you either get your hopes up or you get out and let someone else come along"

The Sporting Director responded to questions concerning his message to Sevilla fans this past summer: "Excitement isn't the same as success. I knew what was coming and I am not stupid but if one doesn't keep their head held high, it is complicated. That message was to the Sevilla faithful and I would say the same things again. It was the transfer window and I knew that it would only get harder. Sevilla have broken every record there is. When you come off the back of that success you're going to run out of excuses; you either get your hopes up or you get out and let someone else come along. Working at this club is a privilege, although I would like to make less mistakes less often. I will try to bring back the good old days because seeing myself down hurts me a lot. I am strong, looking forward and I am motivated to get the team out of here".

Concerning finances: "You only have to look at the money spent on the squad to see how much we have invested. The problem isn't to do with winning, it's to do with the investments made that aren't paying off. The money is out on the pitch but it has been invested in the wrong players, of course", he added. 

"What we have been through is still too raw for us to be heightening our goals. The aim now is for the team to win the upcoming games and keep up our form from the last few weeks"

Monchi was clear regarding the club's aims: "The aim now is for the team to win the upcoming games and try to get past PSV... What we have been through is still too raw for us to be heightening our goals. It is going to be difficult to bring back our confidence, there's a lot behind us now, but we are really looking forward to the UEFA Europa League and let's see if we able to keep up our form from the last few weeks, but nothing more than that at the moment", said Monchi.