‘Sevilla are the rivals that nobody wanted to be drawn to because of their great potential’

‘Sevilla are the rivals that nobody wanted to be drawn to for the Copa del Rey quarter-finals because of their great potential.’ This is how UD Almería head coach José Gomes, spoke about the team that will play Almeria in the Torneo del KO. He argued, ‘I love their football style. I don't say it because they’re our next opponents, but because it’s a fact. They’re playing the best football games at the moment. They have outstanding quality. They’re organised, strong ... We saw how they’re able to play out from the back with seventeen touches escaping of the pressure of rivals over and over again, but at the same time, they are great at looking for spaces, being more direct. They’re very complete.’

His voice heavy with irony, the Portuguese coach said ‘it’s an early final.’ On the bright side, he commented ‘at least, we’re going to play at home, where we feel more comfortable, so we’ll try to make it as difficult as possible for them. We’ll also make an effort to become the best version of ourselves, and above all, we’ll try to enjoy as much as we can but always competing. It’s such a shame that there won’t be any fans supporting.’

José Gomes did not want to highlight any player in particular since as he mentioned ‘they’re top footballers. The squad as a whole goes beyond individual performances. They can select a starting eleven and then change it completely by choosing others. Their organisation is pretty much the same as ours.’ 

With regard to Julen Lopetegui, he stated that ‘I know him, we were talking in the previous pre-season when I was managing English team Reading FC. He was training FC Porto in my home country and he looks a hard-working, methodical man with personality and very clear ideas ...’

When sharing his thoughts on Almería's Spanish Cup run, Gomes did not hesitate to exclaim ‘if I were from Almería, I’d be really proud of my team and what they’re doing in both competitions.’