Castro: "Vitolo used Sevilla to get Atletico to pay him more"
The president said Vitolo told him he could announce the new contract before going back on his word and says this is why he has no regrets about making it public.
Jose Castro, Sevilla's president, admitted it was "not one of my better days" when asked before an interview after Vitolo had left him in the lurch having almost signed a new deal with the club that would see them stave off interest from Atletico Madrid.
So confident was Castro that the Vitolo deal was done that he announced it to the media as other players Sevilla had signed were presented. "He is one of ours," he said at the presentation. Just a few hours later, Vitolo was getting the plane to Madrid having been convinced by Diego Simeone not to sign the new deal on offer.
Castro tells his side of the Vitolo transfer saga story
"The contract was not signed," Castro admits, "but a document in which the new conditions of the contract were approved was. We will defend out interested to the necessary extent although the board of directors will decide just how far we go".
Castro says he does not "regret announcing the renewal. At the weekend, I had different calls from Vitolo asking me to resolve the situation and to accept Atletico's offer to pay the clause in instalments but we said we couldn't because it was disrespectful. In the end, we arrived at the agreement to pay him more in line with what Atletico were offering and the issue was solved. He left completely satisfied and asked me to defend him in front of the fans. On Monday, we prepared all the documentation to which his father gave the thumbs up. The only thing missing was Vitolo's siganture and he told me I could announce it. That's why I made it public and that's why I don't regret it. If you can't trust the word of a player to whom we have given everything, no more can be done. There is not anger, there is outrage."
With Atletico giving him a bumper pay rise, Castro is in no doubt that Vitolo used the club to leverage his negotiations with his new club, "He used Sevila in order for Atletico to pay him more. He made us look bad by not keeping his word after the club had made a massive effort and Vitolo lacked respect for Sevilla and the fans. He asked us to solve a problem and he created another for us."
The Sevilla president, however, believes that the club will continue to run smoothly and they will make sure that the money is put into the team to strengthen. It might create some lively games between the Andalusians and Las Palmas and Atletico Madrid next season though.
