Banega: "Messi must be left alone"

"Be careful in Saudi Arabia, ball wizard."

The message from Nolito, now at Celta, to Éver Banega, illustrated the affection with which Sevilla fired the Argentine midfielder, three times champion of the Europa League with the Andalusian team (2015, 2016 and 2020).

Banega, escorted by President José Castro, Monchi, sports director, and Julen Lopetegui, coach of the first team, said goodbye with tears in his eyes, listening to the multitude of messages that his teammates dedicated to him and showing enormous loyalty to the Andalusian team .

"I feel that Sevilla is the team of my life, where I best competed and from which I say goodbye with the promise I made, a title and in the Champions League," said the Argentine.

“I remember that I came to replace Rakitic and now he comes for me.

He is a fantastic player and he will lead Sevilla's new project ”, clarified Banega, who affirmed that the team he is now leaving is in a position to fight for everything in the League that begins this weekend.

In addition, he had words to analyze the situation of his compatriot Messi at Barcelona.

“I have not had the opportunity to speak with him.

They have surely been hard times.

Hopefully he can perform as he always has.

Now we have to leave Messi alone, ”said Messi's teammate in the Argentina team.

Banega has been international 65 times with the albiceleste, where he scored six goals.

Banega himself and the Barcelona star were two of Argentina's dressing room bosses.

Banega also says goodbye with the affection of all Sevilla fans.

The first, the sports director, Monchi, who revealed some details of his relationship with the midfielder.

“I'm going to say something that few people know.

Éver is a soccer lover and a great connoisseur of the game.

I was wondering about the signings he made and we talked a lot about football, ”clarified Monchi, who was very emphatic about Banega's benefits.

"May people like Reyes, Navas, Kanouté, Luis Fabiano or Alves forgive me, but the player with the highest quality that I have seen in my 20 years as Sevilla sports director is Éver," Monchi clarified.

Banega, 32, is leaving for the Saudi Al Shabab, which has signed a three-year contract that almost triples what he earned at Sevilla, from which he is leaving for a purely economic matter.

Banega's career at Sevilla had two stages: from 2014 to 2016 and from 2017 to 2020, where in addition to winning three Europa League Cups, he played 238 games for Sevilla.

The midfielder has dressed as a Sevilla player 155 times in the First Division and 25 times in the Copa del Rey, reaching the final in the 2016 and 2018 tournaments. In Europe, Banega has played up to 57 games for the Andalusian club, spread over 16 of the Champions League and the 40 of the UEFA Europa League, as well as a European Super Cup.

In addition, he has scored 28 goals and has given 37 assists as a Sevilla player.