Atletico Madrid president confirms stance on Barcelona target – ‘Has a long-term contract’ | OneFootball

With Barcelona and Atletico Madrid set to face off later tonight in La Liga, the executives from both clubs met for the traditional pre-match lunch in the Spanish capital.

Following the lunch meeting, presidents of both clubs, Rafa Yuste (Barcelona) and Enrique Cerezo (Atletico Madrid), spoke to the media briefly.

Naturally, one of the questions asked to both club presidents was concerning Barça’s interest in Atleti forward Julian Alvarez.

In response, Yuste opted not to comment on the matter. On the other hand, his Atletico Madrid counterpart Cerezo made it clear that they have no plans to let the Argentine superstar leave.

“You’re going a bit too far with Julian Alvarez. He’s an Atletico player and has a long-term contract with Atletico Madrid,” Cerezo said, as quoted by SPORT.

Meanwhile, talking about the difficulty of the fixture and the frequency of meetings between the two teams this season, the Atletico president remarked:

“Today’s match is the fourth time we’ve played them; we’ve faced them in the Copa and in La Liga. It’s a tough, tricky match, but we’re going out there to win.”

Cerezo confident ahead of Barcelona face-off. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

He also spoke positively about Atletico’s current situation, saying: “There’s no need for us to tire ourselves out or let others wear us down: we just need to play well and score goals.

“A few months ago, you had written us off, but we went on to win it all, and look where we are now. Let’s hope we see plenty of goals – and that they’re ours.”

He also showed respect for Barcelona, describing them as a dangerous opponent.

“Barça are always dangerous and unpredictable, with young players of great quality,” he remarked.

Finally, when asked whether he would sign any Barcelona player, Cerezo responded: “Well, as with all teams, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but I’m not going to name one I like. I like them all, even the manager.”