Luis García Plaza urges calm: “finish high, but don’t lose it”

Luis García Plaza, Sevilla’s head coach, spoke on Canal Sur Radio on Wednesday and made his message clear: “Ojalá acabemos arriba, pero tampoco tenemos que volvernos locos.” He said he feels calm after an unusual, very long break, while the team prepares for the trophy game this Friday.

Compete, but stay level

García Plaza recalled that when he arrived he sensed the squad was “muy tocado” and that in seven games they won four, getting close to safety. He also explained that after waiting to see whether a sale would happen around May 30, once it was ruled out they switched to planning for the new season. “Mi idea es renovar el vestuario,” he said, after describing how last year the priority was “salvarlo como sea.”

He stressed that the team still needs to “crecer”, even if early feelings have been good, and that young players are still adjusting. “A lo mejor sacas peores resultados,” he added, before setting a timing marker: when there are ten matchdays left, they’ll see where they stand.

Fit issues and squad rotation

On current situation, he pointed to Víctor Vargas, saying he’s dealing with physical problems that now “parece que arranca con el equipo,” and that he wants to get his best performance once the rhythm improves. He also discussed Oso’s departure, calling it a tough moment because it happened suddenly rather than through an injury, while noting the team had managed 6 points from 9 in those matches.