Julián Álvarez wins over Barça with his resilience
“We won’t let him down.” The FC Barcelona directors followed with logical interest Julián Álvarez’s first match with Atlético de Madrid at the Metropolitano after his now famous statements during the World Cup (“I want to fulfill my dream”) and their conclusions recognize the position of the Argentine footballer. The center forward fulfilled his obligations with his current team (he has a contract signed with Atlético until 2030), but he openly showed his discomfort. His body language on the bench, when he came on to play in the second half, as well as when the match ended (walking alone towards the tunnel while his teammates were at the other end of the stadium greeting the fans) needed no translation. Nor did the insults directed at him by the Atlético fans, which included a wide repertoire: there were choral ones (“tell him to leave once and for all”), individual ones (“plenty to go around”) and geopolitical ones (“damn Catalonia and damn Barça”) that will have to be seen if they are punished by the Anti-Violence Commission.