Atletico Madrid fans turn on Julian Alvarez as Simeone refuses to criticise supporters

Diego Simeone has declined to condemn the abuse aimed at Julian Alvarez by Atletico Madrid supporters, intensifying the dispute surrounding the Argentina forward’s possible move to Barcelona.

Simeone was asked about the hostile chants during his news conference after Atletico’s match against Malaga. The insults were heard from the south stand at the Wanda Metropolitano on two separate occasions after the final whistle.

The Atletico manager responded with just one brief sentence: “I have enormous respect for our fans.”

He did not defend Alvarez, challenge the supporters’ behaviour or suggest that he had not heard the chants. Instead, Simeone’s reply appeared to avoid a direct confrontation with the club’s fanbase, a tactic the Argentine coach has used previously when dealing with contentious issues involving Atletico supporters.

The response has provoked further debate because it left Alvarez without public backing from his manager at a time when the relationship between the player and sections of the Atletico support appears to have deteriorated sharply.

A significant number of fans are understood to be frustrated by the way Alvarez has handled speculation about a potential transfer to Barcelona. Their anger was made clear through a mixture of whistles, insults and increasingly forceful comments directed at the striker.

A report shared on social media showed one section of the crowd booing and insulting Alvarez during the match against Malaga. It also quoted Simeone’s response to the incident.

Speaking to journalist Alejandro Gallego, one supporter said: “Let him go to Barcelona or wherever he wants, but away from Atletico Madrid.”

Another fan mocked the possibility of Alvarez joining a different club, saying: “I don’t care if he signs for Carabanchel and starts playing at La Mina.”

Atletico Madrid quickly rejected that remark through their official social media accounts, responding in a humorous manner.

A third supporter gave a more direct assessment of the situation: “I don’t want him to stay. If he doesn’t want to remain here, he is not welcome.”

Others took the opposite view, saying Alvarez should remain at the club as a form of punishment. They called for the forward to spend “the entire season in the stands” and claimed he “doesn’t deserve to play a single minute here”.

The next significant test is expected on Sunday, when Atletico Madrid host Villarreal at the Wanda Metropolitano. The central question will be whether Simeone includes Alvarez in his squad or starting line-up.

If the forward does play, he could face a direct and noisy confrontation with his own supporters for the first time. Sources familiar with the mood inside the Wanda Metropolitano say sections of the fanbase have not forgotten what they regard as Alvarez’s “transgressions” against the club.

Simeone’s decision could therefore determine whether the controversy remains a disagreement away from the pitch or develops into a major confrontation inside Atletico’s stadium.