‘Just the beginning….’ Juan Sartori issues 41-word message after Sunderland’s promotion to Premier League
Sunderland co-owner Juan Sartori has reacted to the club’s promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final
Sunderland co-owner Juan Sartori has hailed the Black Cats’ promotion to the Premier League as the result of “hard work, smart planning, and a clear vision,” after the club secured their top-flight return with a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Wembley.
Reacting to the club’s achievement, Sartori declared: “Sunderland are back in the Premier League! This is the result of hard work, smart planning, and a clear vision to bring the club back where it belongs.”
The Uruguayan businessman, who has been a figure in the club’s rebuild alongside majority shareholder Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, described the moment as one to savour, but emphasised there is more to come. “Today we celebrate — but this is just the beginning. Till the end.”
The Black Cats’ return to the Premier League marks the end of an eight-year absence after their play-off win at Wembley was masterminded by Régis Le Bris.
What Régis Le Bris said about Sunderland’s stunning win
“It’s a fantastic scenario for us, again,” Le Bris said. “Like the semi-final, just absolutely fantastic. Tough for the coaches and fans probably but again we showed strong character. Even when we were not dominant, even when we have struggled as a squad, we stay connected and stick to our plan. Then later in the game, you feel that maybe can change the momentum. This was the case today.
“We lost Luke early, and a substitution too. At the same time, I was comfortable to make this sub because we knew Meps was ready. He has been really impressive this season, as a player but also as a person and as a pro. When he came out of the team ahead of the semi finals, he told me, ‘I will stay connected with the group, don’t worry’. He showed today that this behaviour was really important for the squad. We switched him with Ballard because they targeted this side with Kieffer Moore, so we managed this.”
Chris Wilder delivers verdict on what went wrong for Sheffield United in Sunderland defeat
Wilder said his side had not been clinical enough on the break in the second half. “We started getting back in control of the game 10 minutes into the second half, and we had a couple of chances,” Wilder said.
“When a team has to open up and go for it, which they did, and we’d have been the same. We were too loose in transition and on the counter-attack. We gave up some really good, clean opportunities to go and punish them. And if we got the second, then I think we win the game. I never felt on the sideline worried and that we needed to do something. But the two goals from our point of view are really poor. They found the finishes, but for the second goal we need to secure the ball at the top of the pitch but we don’t and the middle of the park is wide open.
“It’s amazing what stories the game can bring up. A local lad on his way to Brighton, counters and finds a fabulous position and a finish. And then the game’s gone past us, it’s 97 or 98 minutes. So it’s fairy tale stuff for the boy and for Sunderland. For us, it’s going to take quite a while to get over.”
