Monchi on Sevilla, his take on the most contentious signings | OneFootball

Monchi has revisited his Sevilla FC transfer blueprint and the most debated calls in a recent LaLiga interview, outlining the thinking behind successes and missteps.

The former sporting director led recruitment in two spells, first from spring 2000 to March 2017, then returning in April 2019 after Roma and Aston Villa, departing in summer 2023. He is now president of CD San Fernando.

Despite that shift, he does not hide his enduring bond with the club, telling Carrusel Canalla he still calls Sevilla his team.

Antonio Fernández, a key figure in his scouting network, has been credited with helping bring Dani Alves. In Estadio Deportivo, Fernández said he came close to signing Sverre Nypan, now at Manchester City, and Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica during Monchi’s final spell.

In that LaLiga interview, Monchi pointed to selling José Antonio Reyes as his first major dilemma, painful yet necessary to fund Baptista, Adriano and Renato. He said those arrivals helped shift Sevilla from survival fights to being European regulars.

He described timing the market as an inexact science, releasing stars only when a reliable successor was ready. His model drew on Porto and Lyon, prioritising anticipation, and he backs big data alongside the instincts of seasoned scouts.

That resolve also underpinned his faith in Julen Lopetegui, unpopular at first, later vindicated by trophies and Champions League stability. Monchi’s bottom line is balance, blending youth with immediate output and correcting mistakes quickly.

Source: La Colina De Nervion