Isco: Former Sevilla director Monchi assaulted me

The former Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Isco has claimed that Sevilla’s ex-director of soccer Monchi — now Aston Villa’s president of soccer operations — assaulted him throughout a tense confrontation on the membership’s coaching floor.

Isco, 31, who’s presently with out a membership, left Sevilla in December 2022 simply 5 months after becoming a member of from Madrid.

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In an interview with the newspaper Marca revealed on Tuesday, the playmaker mentioned that his departure was sparked by a livid row with Monchi — who left Sevilla for Villa final month — by which the chief “grabbed [Isco] by the throat.”

“As the [January transfer window] approached, I saw a lot of strange things within the club,” Isco mentioned. “They called my agent to look for a move, without talking to me first. When I found out, I went to speak to Monchi directly. I said ‘Hey, I heard about this. I don’t know if you want me or not… Be honest with me, and we’ll sort it out.’

“After that dialog, Monchi was telling everybody that I wished to go away, which wasn’t true. He began calling me daily, me and my agent, bothering us to signal the termination [of the contract]. So I went and spoke to him once more and I mentioned ‘Look Monchi, you are not being trustworthy with me… I need to keep and also you’re saying I need to go.’

“I told him he was the biggest liar I’d come across in the world of football, and he assaulted me. He went for me, grabbed me by the neck, and we had to be separated. After that I didn’t want to carry on there under any circumstances.”

Sevilla instructed ESPN that they might not be commenting on the claims. Aston Villa have additionally been approached for remark.

Monchi, whose full title is Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, spent 21 years as Sevilla’s director of soccer over two spells, incomes a popularity as certainly one of soccer’s shrewdest expertise spotters.

“It was a shame, because I had a great relationship with my teammates and the fans treated me really well,” Isco mentioned. “But I couldn’t be happy at a club where the sporting director assaulted me and nobody said anything, not even an apology. Not for the assault, or for all the lies that were being leaked.

“So I cancelled my contract and I left… I’m conscious that Monchi and the membership have been in a tough second, however crossing the road of violence is one thing I could not enable to occur.”

Isco spent nine years at Real Madrid — winning five Champions Leagues and three league titles — before joining Sevilla on a free transfer in August 2022.

He played just 12 LaLiga games for the Andalusian club, scoring no goals, before leaving by mutual consent.

He has since been without a club after a January move to Union Berlin broke down, with the player citing last-minute changes to the terms of the deal.

“[I’m looking for] a challenge the place I can have continuity, a staff that wishes to play soccer with a enjoyable, possession fashion,” he said. “I’m in a second of my profession the place, after profitable all the pieces, I need to take pleasure in myself.

“I’ll never prioritise money, if not I wouldn’t have gone to Sevilla. I have and I’ve had a lot of offers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, for large sums, but I want to play, to compete and have fun.”