LOPETEGUI: "THE TEAM PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT"

20/02/2020

"In the Sánchez-Pizjuán in a week's time, it's going to be another tough game"

Sevilla FC's manager, Julen Lopetegui, spoke to the media after the 1-1 draw in Romania against Cluj: "Overall I'm pleased with the team for many reasons. If not a draw, I even think we deserved the win. It was a difficult scenario, one in which the pitch was hard to play on. The team showed a lot of effort, and they went about their business seriously. We didn't give them any chances and we, ourselves, had many opportunities to hurt them. I think we managed the game well. The annoying thing is of course the penalty we conceded which was a gift to them. Fortunately, we were able to level the game and we could have went on and won it. Overall, it's a draw that we have to improve on in the Sánchez-Pizjuán".

Lopetegui emphasised the team's solidity throughout the entire game: "We were very solid, serious, sacrificial, united, and the whole team were in line. In difficult circumstances, we had some good moments playing very well on a tricky pitch". On the other hand, the coach wished to talk about how well his players adapted to the playing surface: "The team adapted quickly to what they had to contend with and the context. They were capable of overcoming their opponents in every aspect, it's just a pity that we weren't able to win the game".

Julen emphasised how well the team responded after going a goal down: "The boys picked themselves up. The could have even won the fixture, as we had a lot of excess opportunities. It's a pity it didn't happen like that, as it would have been an important and well-deserved victory". On the other hand, he spoke about the importance of being the team on top in the return leg: "You have to make the good results even better in the return leg. In the Sánchez-Pizjuán in a week's time, it's going to be another tough game. We have to play well".

Overall, he was pleased: "I'm delighted with the commitment and the attitude of the players. I'll repeat myself, it was a difficult environment and I think the boys did very well. They showed a lot of character and understood the context well. This is always a good thing for any team". Finally, he spoke about the state of the pitch: "It was really bad, really bad. There were areas where you couldn't even string two passes together. Awful".