The Real Sociedad goalkeeper prefers the style and approach of refereeing in other countries because he thinks they let the game flow better.

Asked what differences he sees between the Premier League and La Liga, he told The Guardian newspaper: “Football is more attractive there, there are more chances, games are “broken” more. Goalkeepers are not as protected – and I think that’s good.

“You do?! Here, a lot of the time they give fouls that aren’t. I think referees have to let it go a bit more. I’m not saying go Ben White to Vicario, no, hahaha! But there can be more contact, more duels. But it’s a cultural thing, a context.

“In general, the game is stopped more here. We talk about it in the dressing room. There are referees who do our league games and then you see them in Europe and they’re letting it all go. And you think, ‘Bloody hell, great, but do it here too.’ ”

Alex was the only member of the Spain squad not to get any game time in Euro 2024 but he insisted there is no need to “pity” him.

He said: “I don’t want people to pity me. I felt great doing things that way.

“All 25 players there are starters for their clubs, and it’s only seven games.

“And in my view it was already quite something that the coach gave David [Raya] the chance to play. I understood him, his explanation. He wanted to respect the competition, what it means to play for Spain at a Euros.

“If David was going to play that game, he deserved to play the 95 minutes.”