Real Sociedad list B for Europa League with multiple tweaks

Real Sociedad have already published their B list on the UEFA website for the first Europa League matchday. Mundo Deportivo notes that the list can be updated up to the night before each fixture, and that it has to meet the competition’s rules: players trained at home and born from 2005 onward.

The club had already announced the A list as well, completing the 25 spots allowed by UEFA, provided there are enough homegrown players. In that first list, several names were excluded: Odriozola due to a long-term injury, Rupérez and Balda because of age restrictions for the B list, and Jon Martín or Marchal, who left gaps so that Fraga, Lebarbier and Beitia could be registered for the Europa League.

Adjustments in list B

Mundo Deportivo says there are no major surprises in the B list. The standout centre-back from Lasarte and the Navarro winger—both are included—will be available for today’s game against Bournemouth. The paper also highlights that some additional youth names are added even if they hadn’t featured in that latest call-up.

One oddity: Mundo Deportivo reports that Theo Folgado, Real’s fourth-choice goalkeeper, appears in UEFA’s system as Kevin Folgado. To reach the full group, the B list also includes Lander Astiazarán and Arkaitz Mariezkurrena, both of whom already made their debut with the first team before Matarazzo’s arrival.

Kita’s absence

The headline omission is Kazunari Kita. According to Mundo Deportivo, he won’t be able to take part in the early Europa League phase because he doesn’t meet the B-list eligibility criteria tied to uninterrupted time with the club from the age threshold (even though he was born in 2005). The only realistic alternative would have been registering him in the A list by creating a free slot, as the article explains. In the build-up, Unai Valverde said there’s “a lot of excitement in the dressing room” about the Europa League and that they want to be “in the top 8,” per Mundo Deportivo.