According to Sport, Real Madrid player Aurelien Huijsen clearly expressed his stance on teammates Mbappé and Vinicius not displaying shirts supporting Ceuta during an interview with Ok Diario. He stated that he is Spanish and supporting Ceuta is not a political issue. He also said he doesn't understand why VAR didn't intervene in the Lee Kang-in foul on Valverde, as VAR exists to correct errors.

Huijsen distanced himself from teammates Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Júnior regarding their decision not to wear shirts supporting Ceuta before Real Madrid's last match. The center-back, currently training with the Spanish national team, explained the locker room situation at the time during his interview with Ok Diario and clarified his position: "I am Spanish, and I know what that means. For me, it's not a political issue; it's about supporting the people of Ceuta who are suffering."

However, Huijsen also understood that foreign teammates might have interpreted the situation differently. He stated: "Perhaps people who are not from here don't quite understand the situation and might think it's a political issue. Ultimately, everyone does what they think is right." When directly asked about those who chose not to wear the shirt, the defender avoided criticizing their decision: "I think everyone does what they want. We wore them; others didn't."

The Spanish international also compared what happened at Real Madrid with the subsequent situation at Barcelona. He added: "Later, I watched Barcelona's game, and I don't think everyone wore them, but it didn't cause as much controversy. Maybe because I play for Real Madrid, things about Real Madrid get amplified, but the controversy certainly seemed much greater."

"Then What Do We Need VAR For?"

Huijsen also reflected on the previous derby during the interview, where he was shown a red card after fouling Gianluca Simeone and conceding a penalty. The center-back took responsibility: "I think the rule states that if there's a pull, it's a red card. By the rules, it has to be a red card," but he believes such actions should "give the referee a little more room for interpretation. Obviously, it was my fault, and we could have won that game," he admitted.

He took a stronger stance on the foul on Valverde by Lee Kang-in, which Real Madrid contested after the match. "To be honest, I don't understand it. I don't know why there was no intervention. It might have been a refereeing error, a human error, but if that's the case, then what do we need VAR for?" he questioned.

The defender also publicly supported Mourinho's protest, who showed videos of controversial decisions after the derby. "I think he was right. I also have to say that if the situation were reversed, it would definitely cause an uproar," Huijsen said. He insisted that Real Madrid wants to believe recent refereeing incidents are just isolated events: "VAR exists to correct these mistakes."

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