In Monchi’s absence, motivational leadership will be taken by Sergio Ramos and Del Nido Carrasco | Relief
A derby, and especially in Seville, is not just a match. It does not matter the qualifying situation of the two teams, absence or favoritism, within both clubs the previous days are lived with great tension. There are always people who take on motivational leadership. At Nervión, for over 20 years, the most important architect of Sevilla in its history, Monchi, occupied a central position within the team, injecting this poison into both the team and the coaching staff.
The one from San Fernando has always been a natural motivator. Obsessed with being there for his players and coach, he left nothing to chance in the days leading up to a game against his eternal rival. “MOnchi was even more present in training these weeks. He took charge, spoke to the players, encouraged them and gave a speech at the end of the week. Already at the stadium he was very close to them, making it clear how important it was to defeat their eternal rival,” they say from inside the entity.
Who will take on this role now? “There will be people who will explain to us well what a derby is,” said Quique Sanchez Flores before the match with Mallorca. “The coach, despite his words, knows what a derby is. He has spent many years in this city and understands the importance of the match. It’s true that he doesn’t have much of a social life. Training, matches and self-isolation in your hotel. Except for some padel tennis outings, he doesn’t do much outside, but he has people like Pablo Blanco or Juan Martagon who know what these games are about,” they comment from Nervión. “Kike talks a lot with the president. They talk a lot about football,” he added.
It was President José María Del Nido Carrasco who took over this leadership along with Sergio Ramos. Last Wednesday, he invited all the members of the first team to lunch in the sports town after training. In it, Del Nido Carrasco showed them the importance of these types of matches and the intensity with which they should be played. A meeting was held with Quique to explain to him what they would experience next Sunday and what level this type of fight would acquire in the city.
Throughout the weekend, meetings and motivational messages continued to make players notice that this was a different game. Here he relied on co-captain Sergio Ramos. And in Jesus Navas. The camera’s leadership in the locker room is undeniable, and at every training session he has irritated the group and kept them on their toes. The intensity of each work session was his obsession. New Year for the people of Nervión, as well as for the actors who tried to increase the desire of any professional to play such a passionate match as this Seville derby.