Xabi Alonso spoke in the press room at Anoeta after Real Madrid’s  against Real Sociedad. The coach began by addressing Huijsen’s red card: “For me, it was a yellow card. Militão was close by, the ball was not under control and there were still 40 metres to go. That's my interpretation. The referee had another one and VAR must've had another one too, but I've seen the replay and I'm not changing my mind. I asked him, he gave me his explanation, but I'm not convinced. Let's leave it at that.”

“From then on, the context of the match obviously changed completely. We had to play practically 60 minutes with 10 men. Until then, we had chances to score more. Then the goal that made it 0-2 was very important, giving us that margin in the second half, knowing that we had to hold on to the result. Maybe we needed a few more chances, but overall, the team dug deep. The team put in a tremendous effort and winning at Anoeta is always very difficult, and today even more so.”

Do you like or dislike the fact that there are more or fewer VAR interventions?
“When there are obvious mistakes, I like VAR to intervene. When there aren't, I understand that it doesn't have to get involved. I don't want to make the referee the subject of the press conference. I've already spoken about the sending off, I've made myself clear and we'll have to move on.”

Could the outcome of the match have been different?
“It had a big impact on the match. Having to play so many minutes, holding on to the result and even scoring the goal. In the second half, we did have to hold on with a lower block, without coming out as much. It's a normal situation because Real were pushing and crossing a lot. Then, there's no doubt about the penalty, of course. It's a situation that affects you greatly, but you also have to know how to play with 10 men. That's something you'll have to deal with during the year. Today, there was a period in the second half when we lost our composure a little and sank too low, but we adjusted well. The substitutions also worked well, and the team spirit we're playing with is very positive news.”

Huijsen
“I was relieved. Angry but relieved by the team's victory. These are avoidable actions, because there was still a lot of space. Oyarzabal didn't have control of the ball, it was bouncing, and you can avoid the movement. There's no doubt about the foul, and the movement can be avoided.”

Less regular players taking centre stage
“Everyone has contributed and everyone is ready, like Alaba. He played for five minutes but played very well, as did Fran and Raúl. We're going to need everyone. We're in a period with a lot of matches. Hopefully, there won't be any injuries and it's important for everyone to be involved so that we can be competitive and consistent in our performance.”

The referee’s explanations
“He gave me his interpretation, but I wasn't entirely convinced. But that's how it is. Last week, I did the same with Güler. I always approach these things with respect to see if the explanations convince me.”

Four wins in four games
“It's four, but we're moving forward. There's still a long way to go and we can't take anything for granted, but we're pleased. There's room for improvement, to keep building things that give us consistent performance throughout the season. The results speak for themselves. The assessment, after playing for so long with one less player, is that we had some good phases, phases in which we knew how to dig deep and that we managed to correct things. The players made a huge effort and dug deep for the benefit of the team.”

Rüdiger’s injury and the youth academy
“I keep a close eye on the youth academy because it's very close by. I talk to Arbeloa and they often come up with us, but we also have players in the team who can fill that position, such as Asencio, David, Aurelien, and even Álvaro (Carreras) could play. If necessary, we'll definitely keep an eye on the youth academy. It's a shame about Rüdiger. I don't know why I said it yesterday, then he got injured in training. I'll have to stop talking.”

How did you see Real Sociedad play, and what did you think of the tribute to Toshack?
“I've seen all of Real's matches and they should have more points in the standings. The team is very good. The players are top quality and Sergio is very well respected. He's very good at his job, he's a very good manager and he's going to move up. I'm sure the victories will come sooner rather than later. As for the tribute, it was emotional because of what Toshack means, because of what he has given to Real Sociedad, because of his personality and charisma, and it affects me personally because he was the first coach who put his faith in me as a footballer at Anoeta."