Isco claims Aston Villa sporting director Monchi ‘grabbed him by the neck’ and ‘assaulted him’ at Sevilla

Isco has claimed that former Sevilla sporting director Monchi assaulted him by ‘grabbing him by the neck’ in a heated argument last year.

The ex-Real Madrid star, who left Sevilla last December after a torrid four-month spell at the Europa League champions, opened up on his bitter relationship with Monchi in an explosive interview this week.

He claims Monchi, who is now president of football operations at Aston Villa, was the driving force behind his acrimonious exit after assaulting him in the club’s offices.

‘I told him he was the biggest liar I’d ever met in the world of football and he assaulted me,’ Isco told Marca.

‘He came for me, he grabbed me by the neck and people had to separate us. As you can understand, after this, I didn’t want to stay there under any circumstances.

Isco has claimed that Aston Villa sporting director Monchi assaulted him by ‘grabbing him by the neck’ in a heated argument at Sevilla last year – and has shared the details of his bitter exit

Isco has accused Monchi (pictured) of lying to the press about him ‘wanting to leave’ Sevilla

‘Although I was sorry, because I had a very good relationship with my teammates and the fans treated me wonderfully, I couldn’t be comfortable in a club where the sports director attacks me and nobody speaks up or apologises.

‘Not after the aggression, after all the lies he was leaking. So I forgave my contract and left.’

The Spaniard confronted Monchi and called him a liar after he allegedly leaked to the press that Isco wanted to leave Sevilla.

Isco, who at the time had no plans to leave the club, wanted to play out the remainder of his deal – but urged that Monchi ‘was calling me everyday to urge me to rescind my contract’ due to Sevilla’s financial difficulties.

The midfielder had a bright start to life in Sevilla but quickly fell out of favour with new coaching staff and saw his opportunities drastically decline.

Upon Isco’s exit, head coach Jorge Sampaoli said: ‘Isco is a great boy and I wish him the best. He leaves a player who has great capacity, but he did not meet the club’s expectations.’

The midfielder left Sevilla after the incident, calling an end to his four-month spell at the club

Jorge Sampaoli insisted Isco ‘did not meet the club’s expectations’ when he left last December

Keen to leave his Sevilla nightmare in his wake, the 31-year-old playmaker is looking forward to a new chapter as he continues to search for a fresh start this summer.

‘I’m looking forward to starting a project and a new experience,’ he insisted. ‘I’m excited about playing football, enjoying myself, competing and showing that I’ve got good years of football left in me.

‘Yes, I miss the ball, competing, the matches, the dressing room… I miss feeling like a footballer. 

‘It’s true that I have offers, but I don’t want to make a mistake or take another false step in my career. I want to play, compete, have fun and I look forward to returning.’