Alexis: "Nothing is closed for us, we shall continue to be vigilant for possible reinforcements for the team"
At midday the Real Betis Balompié technical secretary appeared before members of the press at the El Pesquero restaurant, the venue chosen for Foued Kadir's presentation as a new player with the green-and-whites. Alexis spoke about recent incorporations and departures during the transfer window and the possibility of more newcomers to the squad run by Julio Velázquez. Furthermore, the technical secretary gave further information on situations such as the transfer of Juanfran to Watford FC, Chuli's loan agreement which has been blocked by the LFP (Professional Football League) and the cases of Eder Vilarchao and Carlos García.
Are you satisfied with the team that has been created?: “You always want the best team possible. I am happy, we have a well compensated team. We had a lot of work yesterday, it was a very long day. There were other operations that were possible, but given the needs that we felt the team had and the famous body that regulates operations in the league, they were situations that were not viable in the end. We are happy with what we have. We were not going to bring anyone in who did not improve what we already had. There were some operations that were beyond the reach of our budget. We shall keep an eye on the players who have been left without a team. We will keep an eye on any possible operation which we feel would improve the team we have”.
Fullbacks in the squad: “I believe in the fullbacks we have. Recently we made a tremendous effort to bring N’Diaye, who had proved to be a very versatile player last season and he can play as a fullback. We also have Caro, who performed well last season both in the First Division and in the UEFA Europa league. It is not an area that worries me too much. When a team concedes goals, you have to look at everyone because the whole team could be at fault. The defence starts with the forwards, the coach is working to make it as hard as possible for our rivals to get to our goal”.
Juanfran, sold to Watford FC: “The player has been sold to Watford FC, who in turn have loaned him to RCD Deportivo de La Coruña for the first season. It has been a beneficial operation for the Club. We will receive money for the loan. Watford FC has agreed to make a series of payments for the player throughout the season. The transfer is effective from this year. As I said before, RCD Deportivo de La Coruña will also make a payment to our Club”.
Caro and Carlos García: “We have 22 registered players. Carlos García started training with Betis B. Caro will continue to train with the first team. Given his versatility the boss thinks he will be able to use him”.
Eder Vilarchao: “He has not been registered. We have been in communication with a lot of Clubs to find somewhere he can play and have some continuity. We are going to have a high demand on our players and in that respect we were not going to count on him, so we wanted him to participate in another Club. We had no satisfactory offers, even if we paid his salary in another team. Despite going down all possible avenues, we were not able to find a place for him. As we are not counting on him as a player we decided not to register him. We shall talk to his agent this week and look for the best solution for all parties”.
Is the team now complete?: “Nothing is closed for us. As long as there are players who are alive and unregistered, we will keep looking. We will continue to strengthen based on what we feel the team needs and to the extent of our options. We are working on this, but we are happy with the squad that we have. Furthermore, there are players in Betis B who can create competition. we shall continue to be vigilant for possible reinforcements for Betis”.
N’Diaye, on the bench in recent matches: “I am pleased that we have him. Regardless of the cost, we have to respect the managers decision when he chooses his line-up. When a player signs a contract that does not mean he will be an automatic starter. He will have to work hard to try to convince the manager”.
Is there money left to bring another reinforcement?: “As a result of the excellent negotiation on Juanfran's departure we have got some margin for movement if we believe it desirable to find another player to reinforce the squad. We have every confidence in our players. We shall see if we are able to get the best out of them and continue and we continue to chalk up positive results in the league”.
Will Carlos García play with Betis B?: “In principle he will, but of course all players have to do well with Betis B in readiness for when the first team coach sees fit to call upon them”.
The money obtained for Juanfran: “Whenever you sell one of you assets, you always try to get as much money as you can and as soon as possible. It has been a very good operation for the Club. He was a free player when he came and we have benefited from the operation”.
African Cup for N’Diaye and Kadir: “We have taken into account both Kadir's and N’Diaye's participation. They are both players who in terms of the game give you no reason t doubt. We are fully confident in their physical condition. Their coming to the Club was important to increase the level of the team”.
Do you think the team is lacking something?: “Practically we have two players for each position. It is an important number that gives balance to the team. We can register three more players. Since the transfer deadline at midnight last night, we have been working on was is left on the market and we think there could be some opportunities to reinforce the team. They are working overtime at the Club on this. If the league's governing body lets us we will make an effort. I reiterate, the squad we have at the moment is satisfactory and we are not worried”.