Atlético Madrid secured a lucky draw to kick off the season. But what will be remembered most are the fans’ reactions to Julian Alvarez. They didn’t miss a single opportunity to boo him.
It was a symbolic image: As all the Atlético players headed toward the fan section after the hard-fought 2–2 draw against Villarreal, a single player chose to make his way to the locker room. Julian Alvarez trudged off the field, taking the occasional sip from his water bottle. As he approached the tunnel, his gaze was fixed primarily on the ground. A fan even threw an Atlético scarf his way, but the Argentine ignored it just as he did everything else around him.
The trouble had already begun before kickoff. Alvarez, who was eager to leave, started the game on the bench, but even that didn’t spare him from the initial reactions. When his name was announced by the stadium announcer, the 26-year-old was met with a barrage of boos. The Colchoneros haven’t forgotten his words from June 23: “I can’t hide it or pretend nothing’s going on,” he said at the time regarding the rumors that he would be transferring to FC Barcelona. “To be honest, I try to be an honest person, and I’ve spoken with the club officials I needed to speak with. I think a transfer is best for everyone involved—and for me, it’s the fulfillment of my dream.”
Atlético Stands Its Ground
Much to his chagrin, however, Atlético never showed even a shred of interest in Álvarez’s dreams, but all the more in stark realities. “We cannot allow other clubs and their affiliated media outlets to tell us what to do, dictate our sporting strategy, and treat us disrespectfully,” Atlético’s general manager, Miguel Ángel Gil, told the EFE news agency a few days ago. He said the club would “support” Álvarez and “continue to look after him so he can reach his full potential. “Because we need him to keep up with the best in Europe.”
The crowd, however, did not support Alvarez at all. Boos when he came on as a substitute, boos every time he touched the ball—the match was a gauntlet for him.
Diego Simeone remained fairly tight-lipped about the incident after the game. The 56-year-old emphasized that a team needs a strong striker if it wants to win titles. Ademola Lookman, who was deployed as a false nine, clearly struggled in that role. Regarding Alvarez’s chances of playing, Simeone said: “We’re competing with the players who are here with us. Just today, before kickoff, I told the players: As long as you’re on the team, give it your all for those who are here.”
Support from his teammates
His players have taken this to heart. “I think we all need to stick together. Julian is part of our team, and as long as he’s here, we’ll support him,” said captain Jan Oblak. “We wish him nothing but the best, because we know what he’s capable of. It’s an uncomfortable situation for everyone. Hopefully everything will be resolved, and we’ll all be satisfied at the end of the season.”
Giuliano Simeone, the coach’s son and a teammate on the national team, who scored the 2-2 equalizer for the Colchoneros while his team was down a man, expressed similar sentiments. “Juli is a great teammate. He’s a fantastic player. We stand behind him and have to support him. As long as he’s on our team, we’ll fight for him until the very end.”
However, the fact that Alvarez disappeared alone toward the locker room after a lackluster performance—incidentally—was not his idea. “It was the club’s decision not to let him go out to the fans with his teammates,” Coach Simeone revealed. On this Sunday evening, that was certainly not a bad decision.
