He wears the Aston Villa polo shirt and shorts. He watches the first part of his team’s training on field 1 of the Ciudad Deportiva del Valencia, which has lent him the facilities to work before the Orange Trophy. Monchiwith the phone always in hand, chats with some of his collaborators before taking a breather and serve BRAND.
Everyone has wanted to listen to him for a long time. He Seville architect has changed scenery after many years. Together with Dami Vidagany they have become Unai Emery’s strong men at Aston Villa. There is a desire to listen to him, but not only because of his new project. Isco’s words in MARCA went around the world and in them he painted an aggressive Monchi who, according to the footballer, now at Betis, came to attack him. It’s time to give the BRAND micro to what is considered one of the best sports directors on the planet. Talk about football, the Premier, the Arab League, Sevilla… and yes, even Isco.
Monchi: “I got up and had 60 messages, if he had caught me in Seville…”
ASK. Monchi with a pole that is not that of Sevilla…
ANSWER. It has been a very important change in my life. I have left a club where I have spent practically my entire professional career to a new championship and a new club. The impression I had before taking the step, when we contacted Dami and Unai to see what the chances were of getting to Birmingham were good, once I’ve arrived I’m very happy. There are enough tools to be able to try to build a nice project. There is a good base from last year, from the time Emery arrived. You have to take advantage of that base and that confidence of the coaching staff to prop up the project and continue to grow.
Q. When Unai arrived, the illusion was unleashed in Birmingham… Can you fight the Big Six?
R. Rather than fighting, the first thing to do is settle down and build a base on which to start climbing. I don’t believe much in increases from one day to the next. That causes big falls. We must prop up and give solidity and guarantees to what has been built. The goal should always be the maximum possible. The higher we aspire, the higher we can reach. But always with coherent arguments and without selling smoke.
Money does not rain in the Premier, there are also clubs with problems
Q. How does your job change with more financial joy?
R.. You have to refine a bit. Money does not rain in the Premier. There are also clubs with problems. There are rules to follow and regulations. What we try is to be ambitious from sanity. My role changes a bit because with the maximum reference that is Unai Emery and from there Dami and I are managing the day to day of the club in sports aspects. We are in a club with a greater investment capacity than that of Spanish clubs, but we cannot go crazy. You have to comply with Premier and UEFA.
Q. Did you take your notes from Sevilla?
R.. Erase RAM as if it were a computer I can’t. I have the knowledge that I have been acquiring for a long time. I have been surprised by Aston Villa’s ability to handle information and the database. Beyond my training, which I have and I am sick of my work and meeting players, what I have found here is going to help me a lot. There is a good data and scouting department. It helps us a lot for the future.
Q. And working with Emery in charge…
R.. Dami and I have an advantage, that we have both worked with Emery. I in Seville and he in Valencia. We know how it is. Unai is not complicated because there is a very large proximity. We don’t have fixed meetings, but we have breakfast together, we eat together, we have offices next to each other. We soak up what Unai needs on a day-to-day basis. He marks the profiles and the style of the player and we give him names and he values and we reach the conclusion and sign.
Q. Will the new Aston Villa be more ambitious?
R.. Unai has impregnated the team and the structure of the club with the ambition that he has. The coach likes to manage everything that happens in the first team. That 24-hour thinking about taking care of the small details has gotten him into the club. We start with the advantage that it is a property that trusts the work of Unai and the professionals. And that is an advantage. Unlike the Spanish clubs, powerful investors are entering the Premier but they are used to delegating and controlling and in that we are a privileged club.
The thing about Arabia has caught us with the wrong foot
P. How far does the economic muscle of the Premier go?
R.. I believe that investment and the regulations that are being established are being regulated a little more. Let there be movement, but with maturity and head.
Q. Has the emergence of the Arab League taken you by surprise?
R.. The truth is that I think she has caught us all on the wrong foot. We did not expect this. It has been in a couple of months. First it was a player, Cristiano, then Rubn Neves and now we see Benzema, Kant… We have to be vigilant because if they continue in this dynamic the market is going to revolutionize because we are facing a competitor who is going to inflate prices and salaries in an important way. It seems that they come to stay. We will have to see what continuity this movement has. It’s not just a player profile. It is no longer the subject of old glories. It is necessary to see if they have continuity.
P. Where is Aston Villa going in this market?
R.. We are active to give depth to the squad. If we pass the Conference preview we can have 55 games this year. We are moving things so that Unai has the maximum arguments.
Q. What was left in Seville?
R.. In Seville I left my life. It’s a big part of everything I’ve been. I am very grateful for everything I enjoyed and have achieved. In the end, if I had to have chosen how to go out after winning a title, it’s nice. I have been fortunate to be able to work in a club that has been my home, of which I have been a fan and a fan and with very good memories. I will always be a Sevilla fan, but now I am closing a stage and dedicating 24 hours a day to Aston Villa so that we can reach the highest levels.
In Seville I left my life, I have been very lucky
Q. Did what Isco said about you at MARCA taste very bad to you?
R.. We each own our words and our silences. If he thought it appropriate to tell that, he would have his reasons. I didn’t waste a second. Looking back has never been a way of life for me. I look ahead and the people who know me know how I am. Explanations must be given to those who don’t know you, as most people know me, there is no need to explain.
Q. But were you expecting these words?
R.. I woke up in the morning one day and I saw that I had 60 messages and I said: “something happened”. If he had caught me in Seville, it would still be different. But I was so immersed in the day-to-day dynamics with two open operations… with Isco I didn’t waste a second
