Monchi: "Alen Halilovic seems me a top player"

In an extensive interview conceded to the newspaper "Sport", the sportive director of the Seville, Monchi, has undone in praises to several players of the FC Barcelonaand also other names related like Alen Halilovic or Andoni Zubizarreta, that was destituido at the beginning of 2015 like sportive director of the Barcelona club. Few hours before it contest the FC Barcelona-Seville of this Sunday, Ramón Verdejo "Monchi" has happened magazine to the sportive actuality of the Barça and to other subjects related with the entity culé and that also have had to see with the Seville.

To Monchi surprised him the decision of Josep Maria Bartomeu of destituir to Andoni Zubizarreta to half of the past season. "It seemed me surprising. It surprised me because it did not expect it. I value a lot of what did in the Barça. I was very of Zubi in my period, because we were contemporary. It liked me this profile of goalkeeper sobrio, very well technically, without alardes of face to the gallery. Those that are not sportive directors of a top team have a timeframe. Work without time is the most difficult. Therefore, do it in a club like the Barça is much more difficult. Andoni Inherited a project of success like the Txiki and built another successful".

One of the big triumphs of Zubizarreta was Ter Stegen. "It likes me a lot. Of always. I think that Zubi saw something of him in Ter Stegen because they share some characteristics, although the German handles the feet much better. And afterwards it is this personality that has". And it thinks that it would be possible that Ter Stegen and Bravo congeniaran and got along, in spite of his apparent differences. "I coincided with Unzué during seven years in the Seville; he played more and were the best friends. It is odd, but no impossible. It depends on where put the aim; it has to be the very common".

Monchi Does not think that have gone down the level of the quarry of the Barça in the last years. "I do not create it. There are pieces by behind that go to give a lot of joys to the Barcelona. But when you elevate the level of the first team to levels insospechados, the motorway that there is between the quarry and the first team tightens by force. If I say you a name, tomorrow take out that to the Seville interests him such or cual player. But yes that I can say you that Halilovic seems me a top player. Has quality, obviously, but especially has a thing: personality. A boy with 19 years that is able to throw on a professional team as it is the Sporting... I saw it against the Betis and in the last minutes, when the Sporting suffered, the one who asked the balloon was he. And this voucher a lot of money".

"This costs a lot to find, this does not achieve only with work". It thinks that Luis Enrique can form part of a project of the FC Barcelona on a long-term basis. "It look, I to a trainer that since it has arrived to the Barcelona has achieved titles and attainments, no him atisbo an end of cycle, but this goes with each person. It is methodical, handles very well the times and knows to move inside a changing room. It is a trainer that liked me a lot. But already before even of the Celtic, when it was in the inferior of the Barça and afterwards the Rome".

Monchi Has remembered the first that called him the attention of Dani Alves. "Of Alves? Uff, his physical capacity. His capacity to do so many efforts continued. The Dani that arrives to the Seville, comes of Bahia to a place that does not know if it is south or north. And now it carries more than ten years in Spain. But always it has been a bit 'echao palante'. This own virtue in the field to be unpredictable, is the same when it is was. What does a player in the field is always a mirror of his form to be". It ensures that Rakitic can play in four distinct positions. "Take into account that, when I followed it, played of left extreme. It can play in four distinct positions. In fact, I no longer know if it would be able to say of what plays Rakitic".

And it thinks that Gerard Deulofeu will finish triumphing in spite of not to do it in the Seville. "I think that the Deulofeu that arrives to the Seville is distinct to the that leaves ; it grew. It is in a phase of growth. In the Seville also had a special competition, with Aleix and with Vitolo. Top players. But I think that the stage was positive for him. It has done him mature and surely in the Everton are going out the réditos. Has goblin, has football, spontaneity; and this is the most difficult to find".

It recognises, finally, that the Seville was interested in Douglas. "There were contacts, there was. There were contacts because we were looking for a player of his position. But at the end we opt by other options. It was not that the Barça denied . I know to Douglas that have seen in Brazil and is of which can like to my trainer. That is my work: look for players that have this profile. And Douglas has these characteristics: side of arrival, of long route. And technically it is Brazilian. Level Barça? The Barça is the best team of the world, is not easy to be to this level. But Douglas of Brazil was very European, and very of the characteristics of the sides of Unai".