Xabi Alonso made an ironic remark about River and spoke about Mastantuono's future at Real Madrid.

Xabi Alonso starred in a tense yet amusing moment during a press conference when a journalist asked him about the transfer of Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid, a deal that was made official shortly before the start of the Club World Cup and sparked reactions within River.

The Millonario confirmed the details of the historic sale of the native of Azul a few days ago. The transfer was completed through the release clause, which will leave the Núñez club with 45 million euros ($48.5 million) net, and the player will join the Merengue squad once his participation in the Club World Cup taking place in the United States is over.

In this context, a reporter introduced his question by mentioning statements from Marcelo Gallardo, who admitted to feeling "moved" by the youngster's departure. In response, the Spanish team's coach pretended not to know the term and asked what "moved" meant. The journalist's answer, who explained that it was similar to feeling "hurt," prompted an ironic response from Alonso.

"I watched the match, you won 3-1, I didn't see you very moved," the coach remarked, referring to River's victory over Urawa Red Diamonds, which drew some laughter from those present.

Beyond the exchange, Xabi Alonso took a moment to highlight the young Argentine, who will officially join Real Madrid on August 15, right after turning 18. "We're happy, he has a fantastic present and an unbelievable future. I was impressed by the conversations I had, by his ambition and maturity; you can see that things with him don't happen by chance," the coach said ahead of the match against Al Hilal.

Regarding his integration into a squad full of stars, he added: "In August we'll have him, and he'll be a very important addition to the squad."