Aston Villa Sporting Director Monchi responds to Isco video and potential Sevilla return | OneFootball

Former Sevilla and current Aston Villa Sporting Director Monchi has addressed a video of him in the street, where he claimed that if he had ‘really hit Isco’, then he would no longer be playing football. The Real Betis star was signed by Monchi for Sevilla, but left after less than half a year in controversial circumstances.

After a bust-up in training between Isco and Monchi, it was reported by some that the latter had struck the ex-Real Madrid man. In an interview last summer, Isco himself claimed that Monchi had grabbed him by the neck. Speaking after the Seville derby on Sunday night, Monchi wished him well though.

“He’s a magnificent player, extraordinary. I spent little time with him, but they tell me he’s a good person,” he told Gol, as quoted by Marca.

“What’s happening to him, he certainly deserves it because he had a bad time and his departure from Sevilla wasn’t ideal.”

However he did leave an air of mystery to what really went down between the two.

“I’m one of the people in the world who least wants to have enemies. People who work hard, deserve things to go right for them. That story has many nuances that will be told one day – now is not the time. When Isco left, things weren’t bad for us, and things aren’t bad for him either, so everyone’s happy.”

Last week a video emerged where Monchi was sarcastically thanked by a Real Betis fan for punching Isco, which eventually led to his arrival at the Benito Villamarin. Monchi was unhappy that he was approached.

“From that video you have to take away something that I don’t wish on anyone: that it breaks someone’s privacy, I was going from my mother’s house to my house…”

“You know I’m spontaneous in my way of being. Things like that shouldn’t happen to anyone. I said that as I could have said anything. I’m not boasting or bragging about what I said. It’s breaking your privacy in a place where you feel comfortable. I greeted him like any other countryman and he wanted to have fun at my expense.”

Image via Gol Digital

Monchi has had two spells at Sevilla in his career, and is the chief architect of their success in the 21st century. After a brief spell at AS Roma, Monchi returned and under Julen Lopetegui and Jose Luis Mendilibar won Sevilla’s sixth and seventh Europa Leagues. Monchi was asked whether he might return to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for a third spell.

“It’s a question I had prepared for. Right now my mind is focused on Wednesday’s game. There are many exciting things going on at Aston Villa. They welcomed me with warmth, I feel loved, very comfortable here with my department. I’m happy. I miss many things about Spain, but right now my happiness is similar to that of Aston Villa. I want to focus on this wonderful moment.”

Certainly he appears to be working well in tandem with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, with the team into the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain and in eighth in the Premier League, challenging to get back into the competition tomorrow.