“There is no cost in LaLiga to promote the game, the schedules always affect us, I don’t know why”

Without forgetting his coffee after another hard workout Imanol in Zubieta and after giving some touches for interview photos, a captain and a classic from Real Sociedad as Aritz Elustondo (Beasain, 1994) attended Mundo Deportivo eager to play again after overcoming his eleventh ankle injury. The enthusiasm, smile or sense of humor does not disappear.

how is it Clean week.

It’s different, but it’s true that we also came from the Christmas break, we took a little break from all the running we’ve been doing in the past few months. And the truth is it’s good, looking forward to the League match. There are a few more exercises left, but well, fun.

In personal, physical sensation? Fully recovered from the ankle scare?

Recovery of sensations. Until the moment of the injury I was feeling good, not so prominent on the green, but there were some moments, feeling good on a daily basis in training, making things difficult for the coach so that he could count on me. And now, after the ankle scare, recovering and trying to get the sensations I had before the injury.

He still hasn’t played since the injury against Ajax.

Yes, that’s right, it’s like after the scare that I had, I can go out for a few weeks, but it’s true that I have a lot of problems with my ankle, I tried to test myself, go out on the field and try to see if it’s possible I wanted to be there to train with the team and it wasn’t until almost the end of December that I started training with the team.

ARITZ ELUSTONDO

“I have a weird footprint and my arch is sinking, I sprain a lot so I have more injuries”

Is it a big fear? It seems more serious.

The moment I heard the crunch when I sprained my ankle, I knew he did something to me, I don’t know if it was serious, but he did something to me. So, as soon as I started to notice that the boot was starting to hurt me, I felt the pressure on my ankle, I knew things were not good. The scare, the crunch, everything made me freeze and have to leave Anoeta like that. Then right when I entered the locker room, I started with the crutches and then I took them off after a while, because I saw that I could support myself and I had that doubt if I had a broken bone or something and I think I took them. off the moment I stepped on my foot.

Why are your ankles giving you so much trouble? Did you come to any conclusions?

Let’s see. My step is a little different. If I’m barefoot here you can see how my arch sags a little and I have to keep doing ankle, proprioception, and strength exercises. And it’s true that even if you’ve been doing this type of work for years, it doesn’t mean you can get injured. From the many sprains I’ve had and the falls I’ve told you about, when it comes to spraining outwards it’s wider, fatter and then I’m usually the one doing those breakdowns. The latter is a stupid way. Step on Brais a little, try to correct his foot and twist it completely. These are game events that often happen and it is true that it is often difficult for me to get back into the rhythm, to trust that my ankle is not bothering me, that I can train normally and be calm .

Can you fear some ankle movement?

Before you start training with the equipment, test everything. That’s when you’ll know if you’re ready to train with the team or not. If you see that different movements or falls or something bothers you, you obviously know that you can’t even train with the team. First, the important thing is to confirm that you are ready to train with the team and then little by little, when you go in with the team, get the confidence that you don’t think too much about the ankle and do the things you know. .

Against Villarreal there is a possibility to start.

It’s not something that drives me crazy. After all, I know that I have the same odds as those you named. Assuming Nayef will play with other people, anyone can play. I don’t know. It is known that the coach will make the decision. If you can contribute to the team from eleven, wonderful. And if not, prepare as always where the time is. I think Jon, Pacheco, Nayef and I are having a good week and trying to make it difficult for the coach. All that is in our hands is to do well during the week and then it will be decided.

A stretch full of games where Real don’t do well is coming. But they are alive in everything.

Yes, that’s what we want. Here in our environment, no one talks about those bad months that you mention. The truth is that we don’t remember anymore. It’s true in your mind. That in the last two or three years during this period many people were injured, the team seemed tired and bad results came. This year at this moment, and let’s touch wood, there is not as much damage as in other seasons. The team is fine, I think they are rested. He knew what he had to do. We are used to playing every three days. We know we are ready and whatever comes comes comes. We know that at the end of this month we will play three competitions and we know what our risk is in each of them. Go for it.

ARITZ ELUSTONDO

“The Cup with an audience may be one of the biggest challenges we have set ourselves since we won it”

Have you not planned physically to avoid the common fall during these months?

Yes, it’s true that in previous years the start was brutal and then these months stalled. This year the start cost us a little and now we are there. I don’t think it’s a planning thing. We also trained. I think you all know what Imanol wants to train. It is true that, in my humble opinion, in the beginning there are more new people who do not yet realize or understand less how to train and how to get out of the game. And I think now we see a better Real. The signatures also had to be given some time.

And the strange preseason they had.

Yes, it has been very strange. Between the Euro Cup, the other internationals that started later and so on, almost in the first four weeks, if I’m not mistaken, there were more people from Sanse than the first team. We have prepared everything as usual and we know that the Sanse team will push to find space, even if it is in the first games in the league. I think everything turned out strange. Not starting a preseason together and holding hands may be one of the keys to this bad start. It’s also not about finding excuses. Things are what they are. But there was also a trip to Japan, blast. I don’t think they are the reasons, but it may have something to do with it.

For this carousel the schedules they set won’t help. The club has spoken. Inside, does it bother you? do you understand

Yes, it would be cliché to say that it doesn’t have to affect us, that we don’t have to think about it. But you obviously realize it. Rayo have three more days off and Valencia two. Always happens to us, I don’t know why. But we are always affected by the issue of schedules. I believe that the League will not spend anything to bring the match from Monday to the weekend and win one day, at least, for a competition like the Cup, which is a one-on-one match. But hey, I’m not going to fix the world either. I can start here to criticize that it is going nowhere. We don’t understand it, but in the end, as always, we have to respect it because there is no other way.

Many also protested against Barça’s cautious decision to register.

Honestly, I don’t know much about that topic, what we talk about here in the locker room, but I stay on the sidelines because I don’t know what’s going on, and I prefer to keep quiet. But it always happens in the same too. Many people came out to criticize. I just think it’s all or nothing. It cannot be that for some it is yes and for others it is no. The same as with schedules, we can say anything and then in the end they will do whatever they want.

With three competitions open, is the team’s aim to do it all, cover it all?

Yes, away from all the competition. In the League we are in a good position and we know what the objective is clearly. We are there in the Europa League and if we win in Rome we will have a chance to get a good classification. And in the Cup, a single match, at home. What’s better than playing at home, no matter how many Rayo, a First Division team, played against us. But I think we have a positive bullet that we play in front of our people and we have to win, because I know they will support us to the death, it’s like they are playing at 12 and we have to give them that gift.

Is the Cup the most attractive tournament? Some have already won one, but no audience, and others want to win one.

This may be one of the biggest challenges we have set ourselves since we won that Cup. there is, which all teams know There are several games for what you can achieve and everyone sets that goal. Dreaming is free, but with a calm head and feet on the ground. Just because we win one doesn’t mean we have to think it’s easy. We know what it costs. We got it that year, but it’s already over, things happen fast, and I hope we can get another one. We can do great things.

A captain and Real fan to death like you will be thinking about the San Mamés finals.

I think everyone from La Real. They tell you that the final is there, it is a good opportunity to go far in Europe and to achieve something, because it is true that we have been playing in European competitions for five years but we have not made the step that’s it. of reaching the quarterfinals, semi-finals, whatever , ‘we have three games left to achieve the goal’. So, calm down. First, Villarreal. Everyone can dream. Then maybe in two weeks everything will be destroyed for you, but for dreaming, don’t miss it.

The president has said several times that this is a ‘new book’. Do you see it too?

We continue to be confident in continuing all the good things we have been doing in recent years. It’s hard, more and more teams are fighting for those European places. We have seen the squad that exists, we will see a better Real, improve everything where we were worse in 2024 and now in 2025 if we improve in different aspects, we will be able to trust the whole team that will all be given continuity, right?