Barcelona target Julian Alvarez exposed to severe Atletico Madrid retaliation | OneFootball

The Argentine striker Julian Alvarez caused quite a stir in world football as the openly expressed his desire to leave Atletico Madrid after the World Cup 2026 game between Argentina and Austria. While FC Barcelona were waiting for just such a declaration of intent from the forward, his comments have naturally not pleased the Colchoneros too much.

In the immediate aftermath of this episode, the Mattress Makers are still considering the way they will take forward. For now, they have only declared their intent of not letting their star forward leave, and also of taking a legal route to penalize the Catalan side for their involvement in this matter.

As already reported, one of the possible avenues they could have taken was reporting the Blaugrana side to FIFA. However, the international footballing body cannot intervene in this matter, as the two involved clubs are members of the same association, and RFEF would have to address the issue if a formal complaint is made by Atletico Madrid.

However, both Barcelona and Alvarez are still exposed to some potential penalties. As Mundo Deportivo has noted, one way the Colchoneros can penalize the forward, if he ends up staying at his current club beyond the summer, is by sitting him out for an entire season.

The report also reveals that there is no legal stipulation that can keep Atletico Madrid from doing so. For instance, under the La Liga-AFE pact, the clubs are only obligated to ensure the players’ right to work, which only includes their right to train normally, with the rest of the team, unless special circumstances like injuries or illnesses prevent them from doing so.

Similarly, the Workers’ Statute and Royal Decree 1006 also obligate for the provision of the right to work, which is limited only to training. Thus, while his comments can open the way for him to join his dream club, Barcelona, this action also puts Julian Alvarez at a lot of risk going forward.