Real Sociedad's American coach, PellegrinoMatarazzo, went to the press conference after the 2-1 defeat against Athletic Club in SanMamés with obvious frustration. The discussion focused on the penalty that the referee awarded to JonMikelAramburu, after a play in which the visiting full-back touched the ball before defender NicoWilliams got involved. Matarazzo called the decision “very disappointing” and questioned the lack of VAR intervention, even though the technology showed the ball had been touched by Aramburu.
The Real Sociedad coach expressed his indignation in front of the media, stating that the penalty “was not correct” and that the VAR did not properly review the play. He noted that, according to the recording, the ball changed direction after contact and that the decision “was not reviewed twice.” Matarazzo added that the referee had not been consulted after the final whistle, which increased his discontent. The lack of review of such a decisive play, according to him, was a critical point that contributed to the defeat.
Regarding the team's performance, Matarazzo admitted that Real Sociedad did not start the game as expected, conceding “too many chances” and showing defensive weaknesses against the red and white offensive. Despite this, he highlighted the ability of his players to equalize the score and control the game after the first half. He highlighted UnaiSimón's performance, describing it as “fantastic”, and explained that the team tried to regain possession and create opportunities after the tie.
The coach also analyzed the tactical failures of his squad. He pointed out that the high pressure was not enough and that the defensive line was disorganized, which allowed Athletic to play “three against one” on the last line. Matarazzo indicated that the team will work on the defensive structure and the position of the players to prevent the rival's forwards from finding space and depth. He stated that the analysis had been done on video and that it will be reviewed to improve the response to the Bilbao attacks.
At the end, Matarazzo recognized the defeat as an “obvious” result and expressed that Real Sociedad is not happy with the result. He stated that the team created enough opportunities to score, but that Athletic also had its chances. The coach closed the press conference with the idea that the match was closely contested and that, although the defeat is regrettable, the players should work on the aspects indicated for future confrontations.