Erik Bretos assesses Kubo, Gorrotxategi, Remiro and Oyarzabal

Football director Erik Bretos discussed Take Kubo, Jon Gorrotxategi, Álex Remiro and Mikel Oyarzabal ahead of Real Sociedad’s match against Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium the following day. Kubo was the first player he was asked about, and Bretos also addressed the form of several leading figures in Matarazzo’s squad.

“Take is fundamental to us; I don’t need to explain his level to you. At the moment he is playing less than he would like, and less than we all expect him to play, but I see him working very well and staying calm. His opportunity will come, and he will be ready for it,” Bretos said.

Speaking about another player, without naming him in that answer, the director pointed to competition within the squad: “It’s a similar case. The other day we won without him coming on, which shows the competition within the group: nobody has a guaranteed place. But he is an important player and I’m sure he will soon be important on the pitch too.”

Bretos then turned to Álex Remiro. He said the club wanted the goalkeeper to stay and that Remiro had also expressed a desire to remain, adding that they were in talks. He said he was not concerned because their intentions were clear, and was pleased to see Remiro performing at his best and making a decisive contribution.

Mikel Oyarzabal, meanwhile, has yet to score for Real Sociedad this season. Bretos said the striker’s goalscoring ability was one of the things that reassured him most, while stressing that Oyarzabal offered much more than goals.