“They smoked me out” – West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui and Aston Villa’s Monchi criticised as player airs grievances

Former Sevilla forward Nolito has criticised West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui and Aston Villa director of football Monchi for the way they treated him at the Spanish club.

Nolito has been speaking Zona Mixta, relayed by AS, about his experience with the pair when they were in charge at Sevilla earlier in their career.

The forward arrived at the club in a €7m deal from Manchester City in 2017 and spent the next three years of his career there, making 79 appearances, scoring 15 goals and registering 13 assists and winning the Europa League in 2020.

His time at the club saw him working under Monchi, who was the director of football, and Lopetegui, who arrived as manager in his final season.

They of course, have since moved on, with Monchi now in charge of affairs at Aston Villa and Lopetegui manager at West Ham following a spell at Wolves.

Nolito would feature regularly under the Spanish boss in their year together but spent the season as a bit-part player, managing just 1217 minutes of action despite totalling 20 games in all competitions.

That came after a difficult summer in which he felt he was badly treated by the two men in charge at the club.

“He (Lopetegui) arrived and the first thing he did was tell 10 or 12 players that he wasn’t counting on them. You, you, you… I’m not counting on you. You’re going to keep training and as long as you’re Sevilla players…”, he said regarding the West Ham manager.

“I was coming back from a broken fibula. I imagine that Monchi and Lopetegui would make the squad and boom boom.”

“Even before the season started, they told me that I was staying. I had a one-year contract. Monchi told me that I was staying, and I replied: ‘You fired me and now you’re telling me that I’m staying, clear your mind, Tito’,” he added regarding the Aston Villa director.

“It was a good year (but) they smoked me out (when Suso was signed). I lowered my contract and was in Sevilla for three years. I have been happy when I have played. All I wanted was to play. Sometimes I have played less for more money, and I have not been happy. I have already reached the limit. I would do it again, I am privileged.”