Our success has been earned and not gifted, says Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui

The encounter is expected to be quite interesting considering the pressure on both these teams to get a win at any cost.

Julen Lopetegui will be facing off against his former club Real Madrid. (Image Credit: Twitter)
By Arnab Mukherji | May 8, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui has hailed his players for earning the right to be in contention for a spot in the next season of the UEFA Champions League, through hard work. Lopetegui believes that the team will keep trying to improve on their performances, with the excitement of facing off against Real Madrid in their upcoming La Liga encounter a source of motivation. The Sevilla coach further threw his support behind Zinedine Zidane, the opposing manager terming him as the right coach for where the team was.

“We are where we are because we’ve had a very good year, no one has gifted us anything. We will keep trying to improve on what we have, and now it’s time to face Real Madrid, a side that we have not been able to win against recently. That’s the excitement that is driving us right now, we will go there with the same excitement and ambition as always. Zidane’s work speaks for itself, he is the right coach for where Real Madrid are,” he said as quoted by the official website of Sevilla in a pre-match press conference.

‘Expecting a demanding match’

Lopetegui added that his players would be looking to approach every match with hard work and enthusiasm.

“The team is very excited ahead of this match and they’re excited about where we are, we could improve on what we achieved last season. We’ve had a hugely difficult year, based on where we came from, and we want to do more of the same, approaching each match with hard work and enthusiasm. Sometimes you come into matches on the back of a win, sometimes on the back of a loss, and right now the team are so keen, there’s no better incentive. We never stop to look back,” he stated.

The Sevilla manager did not attempt to downplay the quality of a team like Real Madrid, hailing them as a side with great players.

“Expecting a top-quality, demanding match, as it always is against Real Madrid. What also makes this match different is that there is less and less time left to win the title”. We’re against a side that is also competing for LaLiga. They are such a good team, with great players and a great coach. There’s no need for any other adjectives,” concluded Lopetegui.





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