Transfer target Julian Alvarez booed by fans in Atletico Madrid win
Giuliano Simeone delivered a family rescue act in the dying moments, earning Atletico Madrid a dramatic 2-2 draw with Villarreal after his father Diego’s side had been reduced to 10 men on a scorching afternoon of fan anger towards European transfer target Julian Alvarez.
The hosts appeared ready to collapse after Robin Le Normand was sent off in the 76th minute for bringing down Georges Mikautadze, who converted the resulting penalty to put Villarreal ahead in the Spanish league on Sunday.
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But Atletico found one last burst on the counterattack as Alex Baena released Giuliano down the right and the manager’s son kept his cool, sliding a delicate finish beyond goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
The match had been simmering with tension long before the late drama, with Atletico supporters turning their frustration on Alvarez.
The striker was booed while warming up, jeered again when his name was announced among the substitutes, and met with louder whistles when he came on in the 66th minute.
A section of the crowd chanted: “Let him leave once and for all, let him leave” after Alvarez had revealed at the World Cup that he had spoken to the club about a possible transfer to “fulfil my dream”, with Barcelona heavily linked in Spanish media reports.
The hostility followed him beyond the final whistle as he headed straight to the changing room while teammates saluted the fans, drawing another heavy round of boos.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone confirmed that Alvarez had been advised by the club to leave the pitch after the match.
“The club decided he should not go near the stands or the fans,” the Argentinian said in a news conference.
“It was the club’s decision to keep him away and separate him, so he could go to the locker room.”
Asked what advice he would give the under-fire Alvarez, Simeone responded: “I’m not here to give advice.”
“I have to focus on my job, which is to give my best for Atletico Madrid. If we want to win a title, we need to stick together, have forwards, and have key forwards. We all need to work accordingly on what we need.”
A day earlier, Simeone confirmed that Alvarez would return to the squad despite reports linking him to English champions Arsenal.
Alvarez, still finding fitness after his post-World Cup holiday, was not involved in Atletico’s opening victory over Malaga on Wednesday.
“Yes, he’s going to be included in the squad list tomorrow, and he’s doing better,” Simeone told reporters on Saturday.
“Obviously, he’s still getting up to speed, like all his teammates.”
Simeone said the fans should be respected when asked about it previously, but reiterated that he still views Alvarez as a key player and does not agree with the criticism himself.
“Obviously, I don’t share in any insults or slights. Let that be absolutely clear,” said the coach.
“Julian is a hugely important player for achieving the goals we have as a team. We need him, we’re going to look after him.
“That’s from a sporting standpoint, and we’re going to stand by him. Why? Because he’s our player, and as long as there are players at Atletico Madrid who are mine, I’m going to look after them.”
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, asked repeatedly on Saturday about whether the Spanish champions had given up their pursuit of Alvarez, said he would not speak about players from other clubs.
Reporting originally appeared via Al Jazeera. Read the full source for additional context.