Alvarez experienced a barrage of whistles and jeers from home supporters before, during, and after his substitute appearance against Villarreal. The 26-year-old was introduced in the 66th minute as Atletico sought a winner, but his presence highlighted deep divisions among the fanbase stemming from his desire to join Barcelona.
Alvarez’s name was loudly whistled by fans when it was announced among the Atletico substitutes pre-match, and again when he was introduced in the 66th minute, with the home side chasing all three points. At full-time, as his teammates stayed on the pitch to applaud Atletico’s fans, Alvarez headed alone down the tunnel, as he was targeted by more whistles.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Simeone made his stance unequivocally clear. “I’m not here to give advice. I have to focus on my job, which is to give my best on the field. If we want to win a title, we need to be united, have strikers, and have top-level strikers. We all need to work accordingly,” Simeone said.
“People at the club told me that the club decided he shouldn’t be near the stands and the fans. The decision was made by the club to keep him away and separate him from the rest of the team, so he would come to the locker room instead. we need to stick together. When we did, we were able to achieve great things. We need strikers. We have them, and we need to take care of them.”