Jiménez anxious to match Sevilla ambition

It is rare for any coach to be forthright enough to admit at the start of a tournament that his team occupies the position of outright favourites. However, that is what you get when you talk football with Manuel Jiménez, playing legend and current coach at Sevilla FC.

Stand-out side
Having contested well over 300 league matches for his local club, the 44-year-old former left-back took over from Juande Ramos last season and inherited the task of maintaining Sevilla's outstanding recent record in UEFA club competition. As the Spaniards set out to regain the UEFA Cup, which they won in 2006 and 2007, Jiménez is convinced that despite the presence of teams such as Tottenham Hotspur FC and AC Milan, Sevilla are the stand-out side.

'Challenging opponents'
"We are clear candidates to win the UEFA Cup again simply because we did so in the last two campaigns in which we participated," he said. "But even as the favourites, this is a competition where nobody can guarantee you a win. Beyond the first and most important task of treating [first round opponents FC] Salzburg with respect and then defeating them we have to accept that this trophy includes some very challenging opponents. Our objective is to win it for the third time in four years but that will only come if we work very hard and remain totally focused."

Sombre mood
Situated in the capital of flamboyant Andalusia, Sevilla could never be anything less than a club which embraces energy, joy and passion, but the overriding ambience these past 12 months has been one of loss. The tragic death of Antonio Puerta at the beginning of last season was followed by Ramos's departure for Tottenham, elimination from and failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League and then the exit of key players like Seydou Keita, Daniel Alves and Christian Poulsen. Jiménez, still feeling his way as a first-team coach, needs to dispel that atmosphere and point players and fans towards new horizons.

'Difficult year'
"It's a pity we are not playing Champions League football simply because we have the team and the club organisation to participate at that level," he pointed out. "But we had a tremendously difficult year with the club and still turned things around, leaving us with the same points as [Club] Atlético [de Madrid], who made it to the Champions League. We need to use that to focus on qualifying for next season, and the departure of important players allows other players to step forward and develop. Here, the club is more important than the individual and I'm confident that with the help of our technical director, the squad and the fans, Sevilla will continue to be a big club."

Maresca boost
One player who will not be going anywhere is Enzo Maresca, and the Italian midfielder provided Jiménez with a boost this week by signing a contract extension tying him to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán outfit until 2011. A crowd favourite after playing a crucial role in the team's back-to-back UEFA Cup triumphs, the 28-year-old expressed his delight at penning his new deal. "This is something I've wanted for a long time," he said. "I found a city and a club where marvellous things have come my way and this was a fundamental factor for me."