Things are never what they seem in football. The information we get from clubs and officials these days is so filtered that it’s hard to look beyond the words and determine the truth. In the case of Isco, his short stint at Sevilla included lies, manipulation and violence we were never supposed to know about.The Spanish international opened up in a long-awaited interview for Marca. It’s been five years since Isco spoke to the press, so there was a lot to get off his chest this time.Isco opens up on his departure from Sevilla:”I told Monchi he was the biggest liar ever in football & he attacked me. He grabbed me by the neck and they had to separate us.””I felt that I had to stop, do therapy, sort out my mind… I am ready to return.” pic.twitter.com/emtmw1FrAm— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) July 17, 2023 The central topic was his ill-fated career at Sevilla. Isco joined the Andalusian club after nine years with Real Madrid. One of the best attacking midfielders in Spain, he joined Sevilla on a free transfer. It was supposed to be a great match for the guy who was born in the region. However, he lasted barely four months at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Then-coach Jorge Sampaoli said Isco’s contract was terminated because he “did not meet the club’s expectations”. However, the 31-year-old former Spain international offers a different story.Sevilla’s notorious sporting director Monchi started saying publicly that Isco wasn’t happy after coach Julen Lopetegui’s departure and that he wanted to leave.”I went to talk directly to Monchi. I asked him to be honest with me and settle any misunderstanding. I don’t know what economic crisis Sevilla could have, but after that conversation, everything went wrong. I just wanted to know the club’s thoughts, and he told me that I should leave if I could find a club. After that conversation, Monchi kept saying that I wanted to leave, which wasn’t true. So, I went to talk to him again and I told him: ‘Look, Monchi, you are not being honest with me or with the people you are telling things to. I want to stay, and you are saying that I want to leave’. And then there was a bit of a conflict.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7377493##And then – Monchi became violent.”I told him that he was the biggest liar I had ever met in the world of football and he assaulted me. He came towards me, grabbed me by the neck, we moved away from each other and they had to separate us completely. As you can understand, after that, I didn’t want to stay there under any circumstances. And although I felt sorry for him, because I had a very good relationship with my teammates and the fans treated me wonderfully, I couldn’t be at ease in a club where the sporting director assaults me and nobody speaks out or apologizes. Neither for the aggression, nor for all the lies he was leaking. So, I forgave my contract and left.”🗣️ Isco: “I told Monchi he was the biggest liar ever in football & he attacked me. He grabbed me by the neck & they had to separate us.” @marca 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/CYlPC35epY— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) July 17, 2023 Isco was a free agent until an unlikely offer from Union Berlin arrived. The Spaniard liked the initial proposal and flew to Germany to sign the contract on the last day of the January registration window. However, after passing the medical, the Germans allegedly wanted to lower the salary they had initially offered. He wouldn’t be treated like a kid, so he told Union that he wouldn’t sign. The mental fatigue took its toll after two failed professional decisions.”Yes, I went back. And then I felt that after everything that had happened, I needed to disconnect, clear my head…. Mentally I wasn’t ready for another move, another project… I felt that I needed to stop, do therapy, sort out my mind, sort out my life, my thoughts.”Isco is still a free agent, but he says he’s ready for a new chapter of his career.”Yes, I miss the ball, competing, the games, the locker room … I miss feeling like a footballer. And well, it’s true that I have offers, but I don’t want to make a mistake or take another false step in my career. The important thing is that I still have the enthusiasm intact. I want to play, to compete, to have fun and I look forward to returning.”
