Budapest (EFE).- Sevilla’s coach, José Luis Mendilibar, stood out this Tuesday at the Puskas Arenas in Budapest, where on Wednesday they will face Roma in the Europa League final, who is not under pressure to play the most important game of his career because he has been “enjoying football” since he arrived at the Andalusian club two months ago.
The 62-year-old coach from Biscay, who was hired after first Julen Lopetegui and then Argentine Jorge Sampaoli were dismissed, assured that he came to Sevilla “from unemployment” and that both in the European competition and in LaLiga he is “enjoying” and He hopes to do it “until next Sunday” in San Sebastián against Real Sociedad, the last game of the domestic tournament and when his assignment ends, since he has a contract signed until June 30.
Mendilibar, in the press appearance on the scene of the match prior to the team’s official training, reported that on other occasions he went out with previous teams “afraid” of the possibility of losing, but not now.
Mendilibar: I always go out with the idea of winning
“Every time I go out onto a field, I have the idea of winning in my head,” said the Sevilla coach, who stressed that he does not believe that Wednesday’s game will be decisive for the possibility of extending his contract “after all that It has been done here”, since his arrival, with the team in serious trouble at the bottom of the standings fighting not to get into the relegation zone and now in the upper-middle zone and in a European final.
“It’s like one of you who is writing a chronicle and at the last minute there is a goal and you have to change it completely,” stressed the Basque coach, who also referred to the potential of Roma’s Portuguese José Mourinho, a rival who “defensively It’s very strong.”
“They don’t concede many chances to score goals. They are not like us, who want to reach the opposite goal. They feel comfortable defending close to their area but they also have, both sides, that of calmly pressing when necessary. With that same tranquility we must play too ”, he related.
Asked about Roma, in comparison with the other two rivals he had in this tournament since he took charge of the team, he commented that “it will be different.”
“Manchester United had nothing to do with Juventus, and now nothing to do with Roma. They are three very strong but different teams. We will continue with the same weapons and, without changing anything, we will try to win. We have to be calm defensively, that in some against they don’t hurt us, and that way we will have opportunities, ”he explained.
Mendilibar, asked about how he lives the hours before the final, assured that tonight he will “sleep well” and even more so after “getting up early today to come here,” he said in a relaxed tone.