The forceful analysis by Jorge Valdano on Julián Álvarez's situation at Atlético Madrid: "He has already left"

After a day marked by the whistles of the fans of Atlético de Madrid against Julián Álvarez, both when he was announced and when he entered against Villarreal, many came out to share their reflections on his situation at the club. One of them was Jorge Valdano, who analyzed the delicate present of the Argentine forward and left a forceful reflection on his relationship with the team and its fans.

In his usual participation on Movistar, the world champion in Mexico 1986 referred to a phrase by a famous Argentine author to explain what he observed in La Araña during the last match at the Metropolitano. "For these cases, I always use a phrase from Julio Cortázar, the Argentine writer, who said that 'when one says they are leaving, it means they have already left'. And if you looked at Julián's face today, it means he had already left", he expressed.

Later, the former forward deepened his analysis based on the body language of the forward and the reaction of the fans. "If we looked at his gaze, he had already left. And if we looked at the people, he had also already left", he maintained.

The words of the former footballer came after a particularly tense day for Álvarez. The Argentine was booed when his name appeared on the stadium screens and received public disapproval again when he entered in the second half against the Yellow Submarine.

The situation arose after the former River player expressed during the 2026 World Cup his intention to leave Atlético and sought a transfer that ultimately did not materialize. The club decided to keep him in the squad, but the discontent from part of the fans was once again exposed at the Metropolitano.

Valdano focused precisely on the consequences of that break and questioned whether it would be possible to recover the relationship between the player and the fans. "I don't know how this relationship between the star player of Atlético and its fans can be rebuilt. I don't know if it will be possible, if Julián will be able to turn around a situation of this nature because it is clear that his hopes are elsewhere", he concluded.

Despite the tension, the club's management maintains the decision not to part ways with the Argentine and intends for him to continue for at least one more season. For his part, Diego Simeone also publicly supported the forward and seeks to channel the situation through his performance on the field.

For now, Álvarez remains at Atlético, but Valdano's words exposed the main question surrounding the forward: whether he will be able to rebuild the bond with a fanbase that, after the failed attempt to leave, showed him their dissatisfaction again.

Julián Álvarez's numbers at Atlético Madrid

Since his arrival at Colchonero in mid-2024, the native of Calchín has played 7,540 minutes, distributed over 107 matches, in which he scored 49 goals, provided 17 assists, and received 8 yellow cards.