“A lot of work pending” – ‘Happy’ Monchi on duties at ‘historic club’ Aston Villa, clearly proud of what they’re doing

Director of football Monchi appears to be loving life at Aston Villa so far, revealing his delight at their progress in a recent interview in Spain.

The Spaniard has returned to Cadiz for a flying visit to take in the Carnival de Cadiz, one of Spain’s biggest and most popular carnivals.

It’s only a short stop for the director of football, who remains hard at work at Aston Villa as they continue to fly under Unai Emery’s leadership.

Monchi reunited with the former Sevilla boss at Villa Park in the summer after something of a protracted and nasty break up with his former club.

He was only a few years into a second spell with Sevilla, where he had once been considered a hero after masterminding their success, particularly in the transfer window, over the previous decade before a move to Roma.

His first spell at the club had seen them winning numerous Europa League titles as well as competing at the top half of Spanish football consistently but they were unable to repeat that in his second spell, with him ultimately leaving after something of a falling out with those in charge.

It’s all roses and sunshine at Aston Villa, though, even if he does admit that there is plenty of work left to be done.

“Tomorrow I’ll be back because we play on Wednesday and there is a lot of work pending but come on, if everything goes as I hope, I will return on Carnival Monday, which is a day that I really like to party,” he told Diario de Cadiz.

“That’s what I’m telling you, I’ve loved this since I was a child, it’s part of me. I feel very Cadiz, very islander, and I like all our things.

“But in Birmingham I’m fine, happy as a sports director, trying to plan Aston Villa, a historic club in England, right now fighting at the top of the table and working hard.”