MADRID, 4 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of Sevilla, José Castro, is clear that they have “made mistakes”, but that they are not going to stop working to “turn around the current situation”, and although he did not want to use it as an “excuse”, he also regretted that this be “complicated” due to “the continuous stones” and “trips” that he considers they are suffering, in reference to the actions of former president José María del Nido.
“We know that we have made mistakes and now it is time to correct them and provide solutions, there is nothing more. Accepting that we make mistakes is the first step to be able to change and turn around the current situation and we are in it,” Castro commented in his speech. at the General Meeting of Shareholders, collected on the club's website.
The president knows that “the most important thing when things are done wrong is to have self-criticism and, above all, to have the capacity, the drive and the desire to reverse the situation.” “Let no one have the slightest doubt that those of us who are in charge of the club are working with that objective, despite the continuous obstacles that we encounter along the way,” he warned.
“It is difficult to work when you are constantly being tripped up, when lies are used as arguments, when you are made a target, but that cannot serve as an excuse to give up, but rather on the contrary, work harder to change things” Castro added in a message to the tension that former president José María del Nido may be generating in his attempt to regain the chair.
Castro did not hide “the unease” that it causes them to be at this moment “far from the objectives set and with a negative streak that has lasted for two months.” “From the cold analysis of the numbers and the result of our own internal self-demand, we decided to do without Mendilibar, to which we will always be eternally grateful, and we wait for a reaction that has not yet come, so logically we are worried, and also busy,” he confessed. .
For the Sevilla president, there is still “time” to “change this course.” “We will do everything we have to do and I only know one way: work, work and work, and do everything we have to make amends. And I have to appeal to our motto, 'Never give up', to continue and not stop trying,” he stressed.
Furthermore, he did not want to forget about the “achievements.” “No one can argue with us even though some insist on ignoring them. This Board of Directors has been working for ten seasons to achieve many more positive things than negative things, although as we have recognized, at present the latter weighs,” she pointed out.
“Sometimes you have to put your memory to work and not forget things that have happened between 10 years ago and now, even though football has no memory. There are five Europa League titles, as well as two Cup runners-up, ten out of ten in classifications for European competition and, of them, seven for the Champions League. We continue to grow socially, we have taken a new step in terms of the number of members, hence we are aware that we need a house with more capacity and more amenities, within that growth that the club has given in infrastructure,” he highlighted.
Castro “humbly demanded patience, calm and a vote of confidence to be able to reverse the situation like last year.” “This is not how it begins, this is how it ends. There is still a lot ahead and we are going to put all our impetus and all our effort to once again place Sevilla FC in the place it deserves. The message I must give is the one that Peace prevails, I know it is complicated, but let's have a little patience,” he requested.
A “STRANGE” SEASON AND “RED NUMBERS” IN THE BUDGET
The leader recalled that last season “without a doubt was strange”, with a “frustrating” start and where they had a “bad” time. “The results were not coming and we had to make the decision to do without Julen Lopetegui, to whom we will be eternally grateful for his achievements for Sevilla, but to whom, with the perspective that time gives, we should have thanked the services provided at the end of the season. previous season,” he said.
Then came the “bet” on the return of Jorge Sampaoli, which got “a reaction”, but did not continue despite the reinforcements in the winter market of players like Lucas Ocampos, Bryan Gil or Pape Gueye, which did not cause him to leave. give “the necessary push to be able to leave behind the dangerous positions on the table.”
“It was necessary to intervene and it was done, and the commitment to José Luis Mendilíbar was key. In just 27 days, he achieved 13 points that practically ended the nightmare of the risk of relegation, he managed to eliminate Manchester United, advance to the Europa League semi-finals and create a magical atmosphere in which the fan-team communion was the germ of the Budapest feat,” Castro added.
However, all this caused them to deviate “from the budget” and present “red numbers.” “It is something that logically we cannot be satisfied with, but it is something that we had to do for the sporting good of Sevilla FC. The economic objective is now focused on reducing the expenses of the first team and for this we are in the phase of re-implementing that policy that gave us so much profit, investing in young people who in the future can offer us significant capital gains,” he explained.
“WE ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP”
The president of Sevilla also pointed out that they are “significantly improving non-sports income” through a plan that “has already been bearing interesting fruit for a couple of years” and that they are “a strong club despite those who predict that it is on the brink of death.” “, as it shows that they are an “example” in LaLiga “being at the forefront of all the projects it promotes.”
“We have spent more than we have earned in recent seasons and our own funds have decreased, but please do not believe that everything is ruinous. Today we have more or less the same own funds as when I became president in December 2013 and what was spent is what was generated, not what was inherited, and that is how I want to highlight it,” the leader continued.
For this reason, he believes that the club has an excellent future ahead.” “Believe me, and I am not the person to give grandiose headlines or populist messages, rather I am a president with his feet on the ground, with the capacity for self-criticism and, above all, In fact, there is what has been achieved in the last decade. A banner at the Jesús Navas Stadium says that we are building the Seville of the future, and so it is, despite the sporting setbacks we are receiving, there is no other way. We are not going to give up, let there be no doubt in anyone's mind,” he stated.