García Pimienta “It will be a very special and emotional game that we are prepared for”

Undoubtedly the main name was in the pre-match press conference Jesus Navas. Xavi García Pimenta himself emphasized: “We prepared a little differently because of the importance. It is Jesus’ last game in front of the fans and with his teammates. It’s a very emotional game, something very special, but we prepare it with all the dedication, energy and concentration to play well against a very difficult opponent. The most important person all week was Navas. We chatted and there were some jokes in training but given the importance of the game, which is a league game, three points are at stake. When it comes to emotions, the players are very professional, with Navas being the first to lead by example. It will be a different kind of game, with honors at the beginning and at the end, but we have to do our best to win and get three very important points. They have an incredible coach who has been doing things very well since last season. He has given the team a great style of play, with many boys from the academy capable of taking on Madrid or drawing against Barcelona. I’m sure there will be a bond between the fans and the players. With everyone’s help we will have to fight to get the three points.”

He confirmed that the captain will play and he expects him to be there next week too: “I won’t tell you whether he will start or not. He will definitely play and I don’t want it to be his last game in a Sevilla jersey. We have a very nice game at the Bernabéu next week And it would also be a nice way for a legend like him to say goodbye.

“I can’t say whether he’ll start or not, but he’ll definitely play.”

It was also something special for him as a coach: “I was very lucky to be able to train Jesús Navas. Not just the Jesús Navas, who everyone knows as players. I met the person and was amazed. It was a real pleasure not only to coach him but also to get to know him as a person. At 39 years old, he is a role model, he trains like he did today and will do so next week until he wears the jersey for the last time. It was a privilege to coach him and I will always cherish it. I tried to get him to change his mind, but I couldn’t. Last weekend, before the Atletico game, he didn’t train because he had a hip problem. He wasn’t at 100% and I decided not to use him because he couldn’t train. He has earned the right to decide when to stop, he has arrived in this moment and tomorrow he will play a great game for as many minutes as he plays.

He is an example for those who are here and for those who will come: “Jesús is not a player who shouts, but he leads by example. He arrives first, leaves last, always trains at 100% and makes no excuses. When he plays as a starter he does well, and when he doesn’t, he’s ready. With the way he trains and plays, he is a role model for the other players at the academy. Everyone admires him and I don’t know anyone who speaks ill of him. It’s easy to come here and say he’s a great player, but if everyone praises him, it’s because he was also an excellent person throughout his career.”

He also commented on the captain’s words to the team in today’s training: “JEsus’ message was very clear. We are all lucky to belong to Sevilla, to wear this jersey and to have to defend it to the death. That the fans must be proud that he is very grateful to the team and those of us who are around him because we are his family and we always wanted to help him. We must follow his path. Now it’s time to fill the gap he leaves behind: “He was so honest at the beginning that he extended his contract by six months. He told us he would be helping out until December and was willing to continue being captain and take some leadership. He led by example. We were already expecting him to leave in January and we needed to strengthen the winger position where I used him most often. He made it easy for us to plan what was next.”

Finally he spoke about his future: “He has also earned the right to decide what he is most excited about or what he wants to do. I want him to be close to the first team in something he likes. We have to let these weeks pass, we will go on vacation and when we come back we will talk calmly to find out what he wants to do. He has to be there, be the emblem of the club and work where he feels most comfortable. I’m sure he’ll be proud to work in what he likes, but I’d like to be close to the first team.”