Simeone hopes Julian Alvarez can thrive as Atletico return to action

Julian Alvarez will return to the Atletico de Madrid squad for Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Athletic Club at San Mames, with Diego Simeone saying the club’s priority is to see the Argentina forward “well and happy” after his proposed move to Barcelona failed to materialise.

Alvarez remains at Atletico de Madrid following the closure of the transfer window and will travel with the squad for the fourth-round fixture. His situation dominated the brief six-minute news conference held by Simeone before the match.

“Alvarez is training very well and tomorrow he will be in the squad. He will be part of the group travelling to Bilbao for the match,” said Simeone, whose side have retained the forward despite his reported wish to leave for Barcelona.

The Atletico manager added: “We expect the best from Alvarez, as we expect the best from all his team-mates.”

Pressed repeatedly on whether Alvarez’s circumstances would lead to a change in his role, Simeone did not reveal whether the player would start or begin on the substitutes’ bench. Instead, the Argentine manager spoke at length about the opportunity for the 24-year-old to learn from the experience.

“I want to be very clear. For me, life is full of opportunities. Perhaps this is the opportunity that has been given to Julian Alvarez to put many things in his life in order,” Simeone said.

“We spend all our time learning, and unfortunately we spend far too much time judging. We all judge this person and that person. We should judge less and focus more on learning.”

He continued: “I think the step Julian takes in his life will be pure learning. He has an opportunity to make all the things he has to resolve internally turn him into a better person.”

Simeone concluded his comments on Alvarez by making clear what he wants from the player above all else.

“To see him happy, that is what we want. For him to be well and happy, to be comfortable, and to give us goals,” he said.

The manager also discussed Marcos Llorente, who announced on Thursday that he had retired from international football with Spain. Simeone said the midfielder would continue playing for Atletico de Madrid for as long as he wanted.

“He has astonishing clarity in his thinking. He understands that the decision he has made about the national team is what he feels. I congratulate him, because the ego always makes us stay longer in a place where perhaps we no longer feel we belong. He is doing what he feels,” Simeone said.

On Jonathan David, the Canada striker signed from Lille, Simeone called for a swift adaptation and a return to the form he showed before his spell with Juventus.

“We need a Lille player, and we have already spoken to him. He can help us because of his qualities. I need him to adapt as quickly as possible, but we see him as extremely motivated and with a great desire,” he said.

With the transfer window now closed, Simeone repeated his familiar assessment of the financial landscape in Spanish football, pointing to the spending gap between Real Madrid, Barcelona and the clubs trying to challenge them.

“What has been happening for more than 15 or 20 years will not change. Real Madrid and Barcelona, then us who come behind them and try to get as close as possible so that we can compete,” he said.

Simeone also publicly congratulated Mateo Alemany when assessing Atletico de Madrid’s work in the transfer market.