Atletico chief hits out at Barcelona and confirms FIFA complaint over Julian Alvarez saga | OneFootball

The recent statement from the FC Barcelona target, Julian Alvarez, in which he expressed his desire to leave Atletico Madrid, has significantly shaken Spanish football. His comments have brought all the three parties in direct confrontation, as the Blaugranes look intent to get him, while the Colchoneros are equally steadfast in their commitment not to part ways with him, or at the least not to allow him to join the Catalan club.

The Madrid club did not publish any official statement on the matter, and on the next day after which the statement was made, the club’s stance came to the public in the form of some of their sources talking to some newspapers.

Now, as MARCA has reported, a more concrete reaction has come from the Mattress Makers, as the CEO of Atletico Madrid Miguel Angel Gil Marin, talked to the media, and addressed the situation.

First of all, the Atletico official criticized the player for the timing of his comments:

“I deeply regret his words. It was not the day to make those statements; it was Messi’s day and Argentina’s day, not Julián’s.”

He went on to make it clear that the Colchoneros have no intentions of parting with the Argentine forward:

Gil Marin also took some harsh shots at Barcelona:

“Barcelona is disrespecting us. They think they can look down on us, that we are weak or stupid. But what they are really showing the world is a way of acting that defines them. They lie to us, to the player, to the media, and they also lie to their own supporters. They try to make everyone believe they can undertake an operation that, in reality, they are not capable of carrying out.

It is not the first time Barcelona has acted this way, and the football world is fully aware of it. Last year they did something very similar with Nico Williams and Athletic Club.”

He also confirmed that his club is going to take legal measures against the Blaugrana side:

“Our responsibility is to defend the interests of Atlético de Madrid, and that is why we are going to file a complaint with FIFA against Barcelona for negotiating with a player who is under contract during the protected period.”

While quite scathing, the intensity of this reaction was already expected. Despite the comments from Julian Alvarez about his desire to leave Atletico Madrid, the Colchoneros seem intent to fight tooth and nail to keep him in their team going forward.

For now, it remains to be seen which side blinks first. However, their animosity towards Barcelona can complicate the operation even further, as even if they have to part ways with their star striker, they can opt to sell him to one of two other big clubs interested in him, i.e., Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal, while the player reportedly dreams of playing for the azulgrana.