Monchi, the current sporting director of Aston Villa, recently shared his thoughts on various topics in an interview with Sky Sport. The Spanish executive spoke about his upcoming Champions League match against Bologna, his time at Roma, and other football matters.
Regarding the match against Bologna, Monchi said, “Our start to the season has been good. The game against Bologna will be challenging. We know the team well and how Italian clubs compete in Europe. We’ll have an advantage at Villa Park, but Champions League matches are always difficult.”
Monchi praised Aston Villa’s fan base, stating, “Aston Villa is one of the strongest teams in English football. We have many fans, and when we play away, we always find a lot of supporters. It’s wonderful: we haven’t played in Europe for many years, and they are an extra motivation to find success.”
On his relationship with manager Unai Emery, Monchi commented, “Something has changed in the last two years since his arrival. At that time, the team was struggling, and now we’re competing with the strongest clubs. Our manager has done something good. He’s the real protagonist of this miracle. He’s very demanding, the first to arrive at the training ground and the last to leave. He works a lot but also manages the off-field aspects very well.”
Reflecting on his time at Roma, Monchi said, “I spent two wonderful years in Rome, perhaps the first season went better than the second. For me, it’s a city that will forever remain in my heart. It was a place that welcomed me after Sevilla. The quarter-final won against Barcelona will remain in my heart forever, I believe it’s the same for the fans. I can only say beautiful things about Rome and the club.”
When asked about the recent dismissal of Daniele De Rossi as Roma’s manager, Monchi responded, “I haven’t spoken to him after the dismissal. I can’t say anything since I’m not in the club, but no one questions Daniele’s love for Roma.”
Monchi also commented on Douglas Luiz’s move to Juventus, saying, “Douglas Luiz is strong, he was fundamental for us last year. Changing countries can bring small difficulties, but I’m convinced that Douglas will slowly become more and more important at Juventus and his performance will improve.”
