Sevilla coach Unai Emery has admitted that the decision to substitute Kevin Gameiro during Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Valencia was a mistake.

Emery has come under criticism for withdrawing the Frenchman when the score was 1-1 at the Mestalla, but he has revealed that he thought Marko Marin would provide more of a goal threat.

"The situation for a coach is to make decisions and sometimes these decisions are easier or more difficult, more risky," Emery told reporters at a press conference. "There is a reading for Sunday's game. The team had equalised. Gameiro was playing a good game, but the midfield was not controlled.

"We decided we had to strengthen the midfield and in how to do so, that was the difficulty. In the game against Barcelona, Marko Marin came close to making it 3-2 to us and against Estoril he was more or less there."

"It was between him and Gameiro, who was playing a good game and it was an injustice to him. That decision made sense, but I do not live outside of reality, I have enough humility to recognise that this did not work out."

Sevilla currently sit bottom of La Liga.