Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso spoke to the media at the Anoeta Stadium after the victory over Real Sociedad with a score of two to one in the fourth round of the Spanish league.

The coach began his talk about the red card incident involving Dean Haussen: "For me, the incident warranted a yellow card. Militao was close, the ball was not under Oyarzabal's control, and there were still 40 meters towards the goal; this is my reading of the situation. The referee had a different interpretation, as did VAR, but I saw the replay and did not change my opinion. I asked him and he provided his explanation, but it did not convince me much. We leave it at that."

He added: "After the red card, the context of the match changed completely. We had to play for about 60 minutes with ten players; until that moment, we had opportunities to score additional goals. The second goal (0-2) was very important because it gave us a safety margin in the second half. We may have lacked more ball progression, but overall the team knew how to sacrifice. The players were very generous in their effort, and winning at Anoeta is always difficult, and today it was harder."

He continued: "I like the intervention of video technology when there are clear mistakes. Otherwise, I believe it should not intervene. I do not want to make refereeing a central topic in the press conference. I spoke clearly about the red card, and we have to move on."

He emphasized: "The red card affected us a lot; playing with this numerical disadvantage and maintaining the score, even scoring, is difficult. In the second half, we had to defend with a low block without pushing forward much, which is natural against Real's pressure. The penalty was clear without a doubt. Yes, the situation was difficult, but you have to know how to play with 10 players; this will happen during the season. In part of the second half, we lost our balance and dropped back a lot, but we corrected the situation. The substitutions were very successful, which is a positive indicator of the team's spirit."

Regarding Dean Haussen: "He was angry, but he felt relieved after the win. These are actions that can be avoided because the distance was great, and Oyarzabal was not in control of the ball. The foul exists, but the obstruction could have been avoided."

He added: "Everyone contributed and was ready, like Alaba, who played only 5 minutes but performed well, as did Fran and Raul. We will need everyone in the upcoming period with the matches coming thick and fast. We hope there are no injuries, and it is important for everyone to participate to make the team more competitive and consistent."

About the referee's explanation regarding Haussen's red card: "He provided me with his explanation, but it did not convince me much. I did the same last week with the Güler case. I always deal with respect, but sometimes I am not convinced."

He added: "We have achieved 4 victories, but the season is still long, and we should not take anything for granted. We are happy, but there is a lot of room for improvement. The most important thing is that the team knows how to play and sacrifice together, even in difficult circumstances like playing with ten players. There were moments we suffered, but we knew how to correct and benefit from the group's spirit."

Regarding Rudiger's injury and relying on academy players: "I monitor the academy closely and talk to Arbeloa, and there are players who train with us continuously. We have alternatives like Asensio, David, Tchouaméni, and even Alvaro (Carerras) can play in central defense, but of course, if necessary, we will rely on the youth. What happened to Rudiger is unfortunate. I said yesterday that he was fine, but he got injured in training afterward. Maybe I should not talk too much."

He concluded about Real Sociedad and honoring Toshack: "I watched all of Real Sociedad's matches, and they deserved more points. The team is very good, the players are of high quality, and Sergio is an excellent coach who will develop further. I am confident that victories will come soon. As for the tribute to Toshack, it was touching for what he represents in value to the club, what he has given to it, and his charismatic personality. It touches me particularly because he was the first coach who gave me confidence as a player at Anoeta."