Exit could be La Liga disaster
THE man who made Sevilla a cool billion will be a big loss to La Liga.
The departure of Ramon “Monchi” Rodriguez is potentially a disaster.
Not only has this visionary talent seeker taken a provincial club and made it one of Europe’s most successful, earning Sevilla more than a billion Euros in profit in the process, he has been an IV-drip of brilliance for other La Liga teams too.
Without him in Spanish football there’s a threat the brutal financial wealth of the Premier League becomes still more dominant in terms of smashing through the transfer market.
There’s a decent chance fewer highquality “undiscovered” players get picked up ahead of the petrodollar clubs such as PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea or the almost infinitely wealthy Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
If that happens the fact Barcelona and Real Madrid routinely win the top Spanish trophies is likely to not only continue but also become still more assured.
Monchi was a journeyman keeper and when he quit playing to become an unofficial director of football at Sevilla he was taking the reigns at a second division club.
By far the greater fan-base was for hated urban rivals Real Betis.
When Monchi started to unravel his masterplan Sevilla barely had a youth policy, were used to signings made on a Presidential whim, like an overweight and listless Diego Maradona, and had won four major trophies in their history.
Yet 16 years later Sevilla are in the Guinness Book of Records for having won three straight Europa Leagues, regularly knock over both Barcelona and Real Madrid and have won 10 more trophies.
It has been a work of genius. Monchi’s favourite signing?
He said: “Dani Alves. What happened with him ticks all the boxes that a club or football director could possibly wish for.
“He was a completely unknown player, he took time to adapt and find his position but we were patient and allowed him to grow in confidence and experience.
“With him in our team we made the great breakthrough to begin winning trophies and we eventually sold him to our great benefit.
“I bought Dani for almost £700,000 and sold him to Barcelona for £30million plus Fernando Navarro coming to us as part of the deal.”
It’s often forgotten Monchi created an environment in which players, previously ticking over, suddenly found a turbo boost in terms of attitude, mentality, power, goals and trophy success.
Freddie Kanoute was transformed when he joined from Spurs. At Sevilla he played 290 times, scored 136 goals and won five team or individual trophies.
Luis Fabiano signed
Players found a turbo boost in terms of attitude, power, goals and success
from Porto for £850,00 and said: “This is probably my last chance to make it in Europe.”
A “bad boy”, pumped full of ego, he became a world star at Sevilla winning six trophies and becoming a mainstay of the Brazil team, eventually transferred at a sizeable profit.
Monchi’s work has regularly benefited Barcelona, Real Madrid and even Atletico. Alves became possibly Barca’s best right-back ever and won 23 more trophies.
Once Monchi moves to Roma will these brilliant signings that fill Sevilla’s coffers and which eventually power up even Barca and Madrid to be competitive dry up?
If so then his leaving shouldn’t just be mourned at Sevilla, the club he loves. It’s potentially damaging to all of Spanish football. OUR TOP WRITERS GIVE THEIR FEARLESS VERDICTS EVERY DAY IN RECORD SPORT