Real Madrid News
Dean Huijsen talks derby defeat, red card incident, VAR, Mourinho, Barcelona, Ballon d’Or, Ceuta controversy
Dean Huijsen has given a revealing account of Real Madrid’s turbulent Madrid derby, admitting responsibility for his sending-off while questioning the lack of VAR intervention in other controversial incidents.
Speaking to OK Diario, the centre-back also discussed Jose Mourinho’s demands, Barcelona’s six-point advantage in La Liga, title race and the controversy surrounding the support shirts for Ceuta.
Huijsen accepts responsibility but questions VAR
Huijsen described the aftermath of the derby as difficult but insisted Real Madrid must learn from the defeat.
Reflecting on the incident that resulted in his red card and a penalty, he acknowledged that the decision was consistent with the wording of the rules while arguing that referees should have more discretion.
“It’s been a right nightmare, obviously. But that’s football for you. You’ve got to learn from it and move on.”
On the sending-off itself, Huijsen explained his interpretation of the incident involving Giuliano Simeone.
“I think the rule says that if you grab someone, it’s a red card. By the book, it has to be a red card, although for me it should be a bit more open to interpretation.
“Obviously, if you grab him by the neck and throw him with all your might, that’s different.
“There’s a grab, but Giuliano’s also clever for letting himself fall and winning the penalty. I think the rule should leave a bit more room for the referee’s interpretation.”
Asked whether he was given an explanation, Huijsen admitted he could not remember.
“To be honest, I can’t remember. I think I asked why it was a red card, but I don’t know if they told me anything or not.”
The defender then accepted that his dismissal changed the match, stating, “Obviously it’s my responsibility, and we could have won the match.”
Huijsen was less understanding of the decision not to intervene over the challenge on Federico Valverde.
“I don’t understand it, to be honest. I don’t know why it didn’t come into play. It might have been a mistake by the referee, human error, but what’s the point of VAR then?”
He also questioned whether players are effectively rewarded for exaggerating incidents.
“It’s a shame because, ultimately, you have VAR precisely to avoid the theatrics – players rolling around on the ground.
“As Fede didn’t stay down acting for five minutes, he wasn’t shown a red card. But VAR should have known that anyway.”
Huijsen refuses to give up on La Liga
Despite Real Madrid falling six points behind Barcelona, Huijsen does not believe the title race is over.
“No. I think it’s down to us. We’ll see how things go.”
He pointed to last season as evidence that the situation can change quickly.
“That they should look at last year. We were seven points clear after El Clásico, and look how the league ended.
“There’s still everything to play for. We’ve got things to improve on – we know that too – and we’ve got to pull together as a team and see this through.”
Even with a visit to Camp Nou still to come, his message remained the same.
“We have to go there to win, obviously, but in any case, football changes very quickly. There are 31 matches left. There’s still a long way to go.”
Huijsen also acknowledged Barcelona’s current strength.
“Yes, I think so. I don’t watch many of their matches, but it certainly seems that way.”
Mourinho demands more from Huijsen
The centre-back believes Mourinho’s high demands are helping him develop physically and tactically.
“I think he knows what I’m capable of and demands a lot from me. This summer I’ve trained hard physically to be in good shape, and so far I feel good.
“I’ve said it in other interviews: they really push me hard and that’s good for me.”
Huijsen was also asked about the support shirts for Ceuta worn around Real Madrid’s match against Elche.
He framed his own involvement as an expression of support rather than a political statement.
“I think there was a bit of confusion. We arrived there and didn’t know we were going to wear the shirt. I’m Spanish and I know what it means.
“For me, it’s not a political issue, but a message of support for the people of Ceuta who are suffering. But perhaps someone who isn’t from here doesn’t fully understand the situation and might see it as a political issue.”
Finally, Huijsen refused to choose a Ballon d’Or winner despite having candidates among both Real Madrid and Spain.
“I’m not going to get involved.”
However, when asked specifically about Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Spain’s world champions, he maintained the same position.
“Any of my teammates deserve it. Whether they’re from the national team or Real Madrid. There are many nominees,” he concluded.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
