Though he has large shoes to fill at Sevilla, it shouldn’t be an issue if Victor Orta lives up to his personality as the team’s sporting director.
In the summer, the dynamic former director of football for Leeds United took over for the legendary clubman, Monchi. “It seemed like I was coming to the Chicago Bulls to take Michael Jordan’s place,” he adds.
Ahead of Sevilla’s crucial trip to London to play Arsenal this week, the man who famously brought Marcelo Bielsa to Elland Road is optimistic about the future despite having already fired one coach and hired a new one.
He makes a bold first move by suggesting a Ryder Cup-style competition between Spanish and English teams. He never lets up, taking aim at the Premier League’s unwillingness to enforce financial fair play regulations and revealing the one phrase he said repeatedly during the season: Leeds were promoted from the Championship.
Sevilla can probably bid farewell to the Champions League for another season if they don’t defeat Arsenal at the Emirates, but he is clear about the club’s ongoing objective.
“We possess the necessary personnel and assets to surpass our barrier and reach the Champions League quarterfinals,” he declares.
“Inter Milan was the champion team the previous year, and they were essentially the same squad that defeated Sevilla in the Europa League final a few years prior.”
Sevilla holds the record with seven Europa League victories. He raises his hand and adds, “It’s not good if you are ambitious but not realistic, but it’s also not good if you are conservative (hand low).”
Orta compares taking over from Jordan to replacing Monchi and remarks, “No one remembers Brent Barry, who was there for only one year and was not really any good.” I’m hoping for better.
Before Orta went it alone at FC Zenit, Monchi served as his mentor at Sevilla for seven years, starting in 2006.
He reflects on the occasions when Monchi would consult him about the peculiarities of English football and says, “He is a big influence on me, but I have my own ideas too with my experience of English and Spanish football.”
“I am your admirer, and we are friends,” he says. “I am happy when Aston Villa performs well, and he enjoys any wins Sevilla has.”
What is it that he learned in England that he can apply to Sevilla now? Football’s physical component has seen significant evolution. It’s odd that English clubs have attempted to play more in the Spanish style for a while.
Spanish coaches held the top two spots in the Premier League the previous season. What’s intriguing, though, is how these coaches have blended that Spanish physicality with a Spanish flair.
“I am your admirer, and we are friends,” he says. “I am happy when Aston Villa performs well, and he enjoys any wins Sevilla has.”
What is it that he learned in England that he can apply to Sevilla now? Football’s physical component has seen significant evolution. It’s odd that English clubs have attempted to play more in the Spanish style for a while.
Spanish coaches held the top two spots in the Premier League the previous season. What’s intriguing, though, is how these coaches have blended that Spanish physicality with a Spanish flair.
Together with new coach Diego Alonso, whom Orta hired last month following the dismissal of Jose Luis Mendilibar, he is currently assembling his squad.
The Director of Football guidebook states on page one that you should fire the coach if things are not going smoothly. Is it just? No, that isn’t just Are they the only ones who are at fault? Nope. Sometimes, though, it’s the only way to try to make a difference.
Given that Alonso had never been a coach in Europe and had failed to advance Uruguay out of their World Cup group, there were some questions about the hiring.
People often refer to their World Cup failure, but I prefer to focus on how well they were able to qualify in the first place given how close they were to not doing so.
Perhaps it makes no difference if he did not have his training in Europe. Some felt that me bringing Bielsa to the Championship was ridiculous. However, my insane concept paid off. Hopefully, this will lead to our success as well.
He is all praise for Bielsa and his accomplishments at Leeds. “He elevates you.” And I want everyone close to me to follow suit.
He is someone who works with the players, the groundskeeper, the CEO, and the chef. He will push you to give it your all. It’s a difficult task, but I prefer it that way.
Under Orta, Leeds was unable to stay in the top division, but he questions if the Premier League’s stricter rules regarding financial fair play would have had an impact. He believes English football still has to improve on this. He acknowledges that they have outperformed La Liga in several areas over the years.
The Premier League began allocating the funds more equitably and much earlier. La Liga was incredibly unjust in the first four TV rights agreements. And among the first teams to make that point was Sevilla. England has experienced 30 years of more equitable allocation.
Yet disregard for the [financial fairplay] regulations is something I find objectionable in England. La Liga is attempting to establish financially stable clubs that break even.
“Perhaps if Everton’s point deduction had applied to the previous season, my future might have been different—for better or worse.”
Everton may lose 12 points in the 2021–2022 season as a result of suspected financial rule violations.
However, Orta doesn’t linger on it. He will soon return to the thrill of the moment. “I’ve played football for nineteen seasons,” he exclaims. “I know I look young!” However, I began serving as Valladolid’s director of football when I was 25.
Regarding the life of a football director, he states: “At any given time, your future could be in the hands of someone else.” People sometimes ask me why I’m superstitious, and sometimes that’s the only way you can believe that you’re having an impact!
I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the word “Kiricocho.” It’s a curse you yell at the opposition. During the championship promotion season, I kept uttering “Kiricocho,” and people would ask, “What is that?”
Investigating the word quickly (as Orta suggests) turns up a number of origins, with the general opinion being that ‘Kiricocho’ worked for Carlos Bilardo’s Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina.
They sent him to meet every visiting team that Estudiantes had to play, and they almost went an entire season without losing at home because his very presence at practice seemed to jinx players and get them hurt.
“You must savor the present.” It is an honor for us to work in football. “We are truly fortunate,” Orta remarks.
Let’s go back to the football Ryder Cup concept. “The English champions take on the Spanish champions, with the second team playing second, the third team playing third, and so on.” According to him, a victory entails three points, a victory on penalties, two points, and a loss on penalties, one point.
It’s not a bad idea, coming from a man with many good ideas. If Orta’s enthusiasm and upbeat demeanor serve as any kind of guide for Sevilla’s future, things may not be as dire even after a dismal start to the campaign.
