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Lopetegui hand-picked by Monchi as the best coach for Sevilla, says Castro

Newly installed Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui was the first choice of sporting director Monchi, according to club chairman Jose Castro, who described the former Real Madrid boss as "the best coach for the Sevilla project".

Lopetegui's arrival at Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan marked his return to football for the first time since his ill-fated spell as head coach of Real Madrid, where he was dismissed after just 10 La Liga matches with Los Blancos ninth in the table.

Monchi, who helped Sevilla win 11 trophies including back-to-back Europa League titles during a hugely successful first spell as sporting director, returned to the club in March after spending two years at Roma.