First team

MONCHI RETURNS HOME TO TAKE CHARGE AS SPORTING DIRECTOR

The San Fernando native will begin his second spell at Sevilla FC with immediate effect. He rejoins after two years in Italy, having acted as sporting director for one of the biggest clubs in Europe since March 2017

Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo returns to what will always be his home.

Sevilla FC and Monchi have come to an agreement for the San Fernando native to return to the post he left two years ago - sporting director of Sevilla Football Club. Though a 29-year spell at Sevilla would come to an end in March 2017 - when he left to pursue other professional challenges - paths were destined to cross once again. Now, as many predicted, Monchi is back.

Monchi arrived at Nervión in summer of 1988 as a goalkeeper for Sevilla Atlético. He would go on to stay with the Rojiblancos for 29 years. Acting as a reliable option under the sticks before transitioning to the sporting director role he made famous, he would make 115 official appearances before hanging up the gloves. Recently deceased Chairman Roberto Alés would then make the historic decision to keep Monchi in the Club's recruitment structure - where he would go on to achieve mythical feats in the 17 years he served as a sporting director.

Rejoining Joaquín Caparrós (Sevilla's acting caretaker manager) at the tail-end of a tight season, both men now reclaim the roles they excelled in to push Sevilla back into the Spanish top-flight many years ago.

If the first 17 years of the 21st century will always be known as the Monchi Era, 2019 will mark the year that the Monchi Era resumed. Now directing a renewed recruitment team, Sevillistas around the world will be hoping Monchi can repeat the same successes that brought them so much joy in his first spell at the Club.