Aleix Sánchez, as a new signing for Sevilla, responded to Yamal during his presentation press conference. The young Barcelona player had stated when the summer transfer window closed that he always liked this time because he could see some "strange signings," citing the Chilean veteran Sánchez’s move to Sevilla as an example. Sánchez’s own presentation press conference centered around his age, as he is approaching 37.
When asked about Yamal’s remarks, he answered clearly, smiling and without hesitation: “He knows what I mean to football. I think he said that because I used to play for Barcelona. His words made me happy, and I have always liked facing big teams. That’s why I’m in the gym alone, training by myself, to stay in shape like a 20-year-old guy.”
Sánchez does not believe age has much to do with football. “Age? Football is simple—every year, I find it easier. It’s not a problem; it has to be settled on the pitch, and we’ll see how the results are when the season ends. I feel great, I’m preparing well, and age is just a number. I’m here to help the young players and the club… The club is not in a good situation right now, but everyone is full of desire, and we will bring joy to the fans this year,” he said.
When talking about César Azpilicueta—who is around his age and has rich experience—Sánchez said: “We always faced each other in matches, whether in England or with our national teams… I have an interesting story: once they were releasing data on who covered the most distance in a match, and Azpilicueta was the one who ran the most. So what does age matter? Sometimes veterans run more than young players.”
Furthermore, Sánchez believes he is better now than he was earlier in his career. “I see a more mature version of myself, one who knows how to control the tempo of the game. When I was at Barcelona, I ran around frantically and didn’t understand football as well; now I’m much more mature.” The Chilean international promised that he would bring experience and ambition. “I like having a winning mentality and leading the club to great achievements. When I joined Inter Milan, they had not won a trophy in 11 years, but after that, I won 5 trophies with them. At Udinese, I didn’t get consistent playing time—that was a matter of the coach’s preference, but it should be respected. Now I’m focused on Sevilla.”
