Antonio Hidalgo believes Deportivo deserved a point after defeat

“We deserved a point,” Antonio Hidalgo said after Deportivo’s defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday. The coach argued that his team’s second-half performance merited a reward despite the result.

Hidalgo acknowledged that his side had lacked bite early on and regretted conceding twice. “In the second half, the situation became more difficult at 3-0, but Real’s best player was their goalkeeper and we deserved a point. Mistakes are punished very dearly in this division,” he said.

The coach also disagreed with the referee over two key incidents. “For me, it’s clearly a penalty on Luismi,” he said, before discussing the move that led to the third goal and the part Oyarzabal appeared to play in Amatucci’s sending-off.

Hidalgo said he wanted to use his frustration to motivate his players. He also praised their response and Yeremay’s performance, which he described as his best of the season. Despite leaving without a point, Deportivo came away with positive feelings, in the coach’s view.