In a dramatic La Liga clash on Sunday, Atletico Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw by Villarreal. The hosts nearly collapsed after Robin Le Normand was sent off in the 76th minute, allowing Georges Mikautadze to score from the penalty spot and put Villarreal ahead. However, Atletico salvaged a point in stoppage time through Giuliano Simeone, son of coach Diego Simeone, who finished off an assist from Alex Baena.
Off the pitch, the atmosphere at the stadium had turned hostile long before kickoff, with home fans directing their anger at Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker was jeered during the warm-up, booed when his name was read out among the substitutes, and met with more whistles when he came on in the 66th minute. A section of supporters even chanted for him to leave.
The backlash stems from comments Alvarez made while on Argentina duty at the World Cup, revealing he had discussed a potential transfer with Atletico to 'fulfil a dream'. Spanish media have since been rife with speculation linking him to Barcelona.
The hostility persisted after the final whistle, as Alvarez headed straight to the tunnel while his teammates went to acknowledge the fans, drawing another round of jeers. Coach Diego Simeone confirmed the club had advised Alvarez to leave the pitch immediately.
'The club decided he should not go near the stands or the fans. That was the club's decision to keep him away and isolated, so he could go straight to the dressing room,' Simeone told a press conference.
Asked for his advice to Alvarez, the Argentine manager replied: 'I'm not here to give advice. I have to focus on my job, which is to give everything for Atletico Madrid. If we want to win titles, we need unity, we need our main strikers. Everyone needs to do what is necessary.'
A day before the match, Simeone confirmed Alvarez would return to the squad despite rumours linking him to Arsenal. Alvarez was still regaining fitness after the post-World Cup break and missed the opening-day win over Malaga.
Simeone voiced strong support for his player: 'I do not agree with any insult or abuse. Julian is an extremely important player in achieving the team's goals. We need him and we will protect him. Because he is an Atletico Madrid player, I will always stand by them.'
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick refused to comment on a potential move for Alvarez when pressed repeatedly, saying he preferred not to talk about players from other clubs.
