Imanol Alguacil is departing Real Sociedad as a club legend, but he tested that reputation upon his farewell.
The head coach took charge of his final home game at Anoeta, a 3-2 win over Getafe, and was serenaded by supporters.
Not only did he become a hero with 2020 Copa del Rey triumph, but he’s also a local boy done good, which perhaps gave him some licence to criticise the club, but not much.
In an extensive post-match interview he referenced their arch rivals Athletic Bilbao with some comments that went down terribly among supporters.
“I hope one day we change the policy and play with only youth players like Athletic Club does,” he said.
“We would all be happy and proud of the results.”
He continued: “I would have liked some of the youth players to have had the chance to play more.
“You have to be aware of how difficult it is. The level of demand of participating in three competitions is extremely high.
“All the coaches appreciate it. We’ve competed in all three competitions with youth players.”
Like Athletic, Real long had a Basque only policy that was loosened in the 1980s and now no longer exists, despite their still excellent development of local talent.
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