Sevilla director Monchi touched on the ‘special’ nature of the Europa League final against Roma and admitted he ‘could have done better’ in the Italian capital.
The Spanish outfit booked their spot in the Europa League final after securing a 3-2 aggregate win over Juventus in the semi-finals. On the other side of the bracket, the Giallorossi edged out a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, taking them to their second European final in as many seasons.
For Monchi, this Europa League final carries an extra weight; the 54-year-old Spaniard spent two years in the Italian capital, working as Roma’s sporting director, before leaving in a rather acrimonious fashion in 2019.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Monchi first gave his thoughts on the Europa League final.
“It’s a very special match. First because it’s a final after a bad season, and then playing against Roma makes it even more special.”
He spoke about his work at Sevilla and past with Roma.
“The job at Sevilla is for me. At Roma I had a good season, reaching the final. The one with Sevilla is a longer journey.”
The Spaniard had high praise for Jose Mourinho.
“Mourinho is a top coach, he won all the finals he’s taken part in. Having him is an advantage for Roma.”
He also praised the qualities of Roma and their squad.
“I like the fact that they don’t lose. When a team doesn’t lose, it’s because they do many good things, we will have to be good. I don’t know what kind of game it will be, they know how they play. It will be difficult. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.”
Finally, Monchi briefly reflected on where things went wrong with Roma.
“The first year things went well, then not. I could have done better.”