Julián Álvarez returned to Atlético Madrid's starting lineup on Sunday for a draw played with 10 men against Villarreal, and was booed and insulted by home supporters at the Metropolitano stadium as the standoff over his proposed move to FC Barcelona showed no sign of easing.
The Argentine forward's face reflected what the report described as a brutal afternoon. Álvarez, who joined Atlético from Manchester City in 2024, has spent the summer at the centre of what has been called the saga of the season, pushing to force through a transfer to Barcelona.
Álvarez appeared determined to keep pressing the club until it could no longer withstand the pressure, but he has run into resistance he cannot overcome. He must now adapt to the situation and try to win back the fans through his performances on the pitch, according to the report.
The dispute is not over. The report said accusations continue to fly between Atlético, Barcelona and Álvarez's entourage, which the Madrid club blames for stoking tension around the player, who is nicknamed the Spider.
Gil Marín Shuts the Door on a Move
Atlético chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín repeated, for what the report called the umpteenth time, last Friday that Álvarez would not be leaving for Barcelona. He criticised both the Catalan club, presided over by Joan Laporta, and the player's representative.
Gil Marín said the only thing he could say, after what he called a fairly complicated summer of constant questions about Julián Álvarez, was that Álvarez is an Atlético de Madrid player, that he has always been an Atlético de Madrid player, and that the club has never had any intention of selling him. He added that the forward remains available to the coach whenever the coach wants him.
He said he believed Barcelona had not been up to the circumstances and had not done what it usually does in these situations, according to the report.
President Enrique Cerezo repeated the same position on Sunday, the report said.
Simeone's Plan Overruled
Sunday's return was shaped by two decisions taken by the club rather than by Diego Simeone or the player himself. Simeone has coached Atlético since 2011 and is one of the longest serving managers in European football.
Simeone's strategy had been to protect Álvarez. The forward missed the match against Málaga, and the plan was for him to also sit out the game against Villarreal. That would have given the Argentine three matches away from the Metropolitano to seek redemption before facing the home fans in mid September against Osasuna.
The club's plans were different. Simeone did not want to call up Álvarez for the Villarreal match, but Gil Marín gave a direct order to subject the player to what the report called a humiliation therapy in front of the Metropolitano crowd. The aim, according to the report, was either to make Álvarez change his attitude or to force him to accept a move to Arsenal for 150 million euros before the transfer window closes.
Left Alone on the Pitch
A second decision by the club marked what the report called a total breakdown. After the draw with Villarreal, played with Atlético a man short, the home side's players stayed on the pitch to greet the crowd. Every one of them except Álvarez, who walked off alone, head down, without looking back.
That gesture was also not the forward's own decision. Simeone told a post match press conference that the club decided Álvarez should not approach the stands, and that it was the club's decision to keep him away and separate him so that he would head straight to the dressing room.
Eight Days Left in the Window
Atlético have eight days left in the transfer window and three consecutive matches away from the Metropolitano to calm the atmosphere or negotiate Álvarez's departure, the report said, adding that the unresolved situation is taking a toll on the dressing room.
