Former Champions League winner Isco opens up on assault by former Sevilla Sporting Director
Isco, the former midfielder of Real Madrid and Spain, has alleged that Monchi, the former director of football at Sevilla who is now serving as Aston Villa’s president of football operations, physically assaulted him during a tense confrontation at Sevilla’s training ground.
Isco, 31 years old and presently unattached to any club, departed from Sevilla in December 2022, merely five months after joining Real Madrid. In an interview with Marca, published on Tuesday, the playmaker revealed that his departure was triggered by a heated dispute with Monchi, who recently moved to Villa, during which the executive reportedly grabbed him by the throat.
Sevilla has declined to comment on these allegations, while Aston Villa’s response is still awaited. Monchi, whose full name is Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, is renowned for his impressive talent-spotting skills and served as Sevilla’s director of football for a total of 21 years across two stints.
Isco, having spent nine successful years at Real Madrid with five Champions League and three league titles, joined Sevilla on a free transfer in August 2022. However, his stint at the Andalusian club was short-lived, featuring only 12 LaLiga games without scoring any goals, before parting ways by mutual consent.
Subsequently, a potential move to Union Berlin in January fell through, with the player citing last-minute changes to the terms of the deal, leaving him without a club.
“Monchi was telling everyone that I wanted to leave, which wasn’t true. He started calling me every day, me and my agent, bothering us to sign the termination of the contract. So I went and spoke to him again and I said ‘Look Monchi, you’re not being honest with me. I want to stay and you’re saying I want to go.” – Isco said.
“I told him he was the biggest liar I’d come across in the world of football, and he assaulted me. He went for me, grabbed me by the neck, and we had to be separated. After that I didn’t want to carry on there under any circumstances.” – Isco concluded.
