Transfer guru Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, who has been instrumental in changing Sevilla FC's fortune

KOLKATA: Monchi who?

In the high-stakes and cut-throat world of professional football where money is brandished and burnt through some crazy, record-breaking transfers — be it Neymar ’s move from Barcelona to PSG or Joao Felix ’s shifting from Benfica to Atletico de Madrid — he is the man with the Midas touch, an expert at striking gold with low-value deals.

He may not be a household name in our part of the world, but Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo — universally known as Monchi — is someone who keeps European football market vibrant with his meticulous and mesmerizing work.

To clarify any doubts, just cast a glance at Sevilla FC .

Monchi has been instrumental in behind-the-scene deliberations and negotiations which transformed the club from virtual also-rans into kings of Europe, having overseen 11 trophies, including five Europa League/Uefa Cup titles in this millennium.

Having returned to the Spanish club as its sports director after a two-year stint with AS Roma, Monchi has taken up the next big challenge — turning Los Nervionenses into a global brand. No wonder, Indian market is also on his mind.

“We are developing a plan to become a bigger international club, and of course, one of the markets we are focusing on is India. There are many fans there and we can look at exploring options of being engaged in various commercial deals — like setting up football schools and so on. As we plan to take Sevilla outside Spain, India has to be one of our destinations,” Monchi told TOI in an exclusive interview, done via email.

Two decades ago, such lofty plans would have been considered as improbable.

When Monchi — who was a goalkeeper at Sevilla FC but had to retire at 30 because of a shoulder injury — was appointed as Los Nervionenses’ sporting director, it went virtually unnoticed as the club had been relegated from the top division and was in the grip of a dire financial crisis. They even thought of selling their stadium — Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Incidentally, Seville will host the 2021 Europa League final.

However, the wheels of fortune changed within five years, with Sevilla winning the first of their five Europa League titles and going on to complete a ‘hat-trick’ (2013-14 to 2015-2016).

“I still cannot believe it, I feel like I am living in a dream. Sometimes reality defeats your dreams. Not one Sevillista would have thought it would be our turn to live through what has happened. How we have turned a corner and what we have achieved is more than I had ever thought of. But this is the same mentality which now makes us look forward, with the ambition of trying to do it all over again,” Monchi maintained.

Recalling the days of struggle, the 51-year-old emphasized that a collective cause of the club has brought about the change.

“Giving Monchi all the credit for Sevilla’s extraordinary turnaround in the last 15 years is both wrong and unfair. He has been one factor in the change, which is down to many different people in different aspects. During these years, the club has gone from its darkest days to its golden era, investing time, effort and resources in key areas, and this is what has made us successful. Sevilla is now in Europe’s elite. We also owe our success to the teams and many players who have been united and worked hard, did not settle for anything and instead aimed high and took risks,” he said.

So, how does the Monchi model work?

Respected as a transfer guru, Monchi not only has a brain to understand the market, but a vast and exceptional network which constantly feeds him with information about raw, young talent making waves almost everywhere in the world. He brings them to Sevilla cheaply as unheralded signings, lets them flourish at the club and sells them at a higher price, thus keeping the financial eco-system at the club vibrant and valuable.

Among the success stories he has ‘created’ are Sergio Ramos to Real Madrid, Dani Alves to Barcelona and Mohamed Salah to Liverpool (as AS Roma sports director).

According to him, the big-bucks transfers should be an exception and not a norm.

“I am not saying that these huge transfers nowadays are ruining the beauty of football, but they are creating a bubble and I am scared that one day it could explode. I would rather try to turn back time and hope that buying a footballer for an exorbitant price would be a rarity, and not the norm,” he said.

This is precisely what Monchi has been doing continuously at Sevilla FC. Conscious of the club’s position compared to the richer ones, Monchi has created a system which was instrumental in bringing the club back into life from the brink of downfall.

“I have spent nearly 30 years working for the club in different roles — as goalkeeper, delegate, sporting director. I don’t know how much I have made Sevilla, but Sevilla has made me what I’m today. For me, everything is linked to Sevilla: My family, my friends, my stability, my happiness, my heartaches… they are all Sevilla,” he signed off.

