Machin: I was surprised by my Sevilla dismissal LaLiga Santander Reflected on his sacking

Sevilla took the decision to fire Pablo Machin after their Europa League exit, a decision which caught the tactician by surprise.

Machin's side were going through a poor run of form, but had started the season well and he thought he'd be given more time.

"I was surprised by my Sevilla exit," he said in an interview with Kooora.

"When such a decision is taken the coach has to accept it.

"It was all very quick.

"We lost in the Europa League against Slavia Prague in the final minute and then the next day they sacked me.

"I thought I'd be in charge of the team for the match against Espanyol two days later, but it all happened quickly."

Machin believes there was a lot of bad luck involved during his final weeks and thinks the team is in a position to achieve good results again now.

"We had a lot of injuries, but still overcame obstacles," he said.

"The players worked well, but we had some bad luck in the matches we lost in the final minutes.

"We missed a lot of clear chances.

"The players who were out injured have now returned.

"We went through the most difficult moments, but now they can prepare for matches throughout the whole midweek and this helps a team achieve victories."

In the first match without Machin, Sevilla won 1-0 at Espanyol led by Joaquin Caparros.