‘Let him leave once and for all’: Atletico tells Julian Alvarez to stay away from fans amid transfer saga

Julian Alvarez was at the centre of a tense night at Atletico Madrid as the club’s supporters turned on the striker during a dramatic 2-2 draw with Villarreal.

The Argentina forward was booed during the warm-up, jeered when his name was announced among the substitutes and greeted by even louder whistles when he entered the game in the 66th minute.

The reaction came amid growing speculation over Alvarez’s future. Some Atletico fans chanted, “Let him leave once and for all, let him leave…” after the striker said during the World Cup that he had spoken with the club about a possible transfer in order to “fulfil my dream”. Spanish media have linked Alvarez with Barcelona.

The tension continued after the final whistle. While Atletico’s players remained on the pitch to acknowledge the supporters, Alvarez went directly to the dressing room.

Atletico keeps Alvarez away from supporters

Atletico manager Diego Simeone confirmed after the match that the club had decided Alvarez should not approach the stands.

“The club decided he should not go near the stands or the fans,” Simeone said during his post-match press conference.

He explained that the decision was made to keep the striker separated from the supporters and allow him to return directly to the dressing room.

Asked what advice he would offer Alvarez, Simeone declined to give a personal recommendation.

“I’m not here to give advice. I have to focus on my job, which is to give my best for Atletico Madrid,” he said.

Simeone also stressed the importance of keeping the squad united, particularly if Atletico are to challenge for silverware.

“If we want to win a title, we need to stick together, have forwards, and have key forwards. We all need to work accordingly on what we need,” he added.

Julian Alvarez não se despede dos adeptos do Atleti 😬#DAZNLALIGA pic.twitter.com/0WSIhLeMmc

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) August 23, 2026

Atletico rescued by Giuliano Simeone

The controversy surrounding Alvarez unfolded during a match that Atletico had looked capable of winning before Villarreal turned it around.

After a goalless first half, Atletico broke the deadlock in the 59th minute. Marc Pubill found the net from outside the box to put the home side ahead.

Villarreal responded just seven minutes later when Morten Hjulmand conceded a penalty for a foul on Tajon Buchanan. Gerard Moreno stepped up and converted from the spot, beating Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak to make it 1-1.

The visitors then moved ahead after a second penalty was awarded following a VAR review.

Robin Le Normand was penalised for bringing down Georges Mikautadze inside the box. The challenge resulted in a red card for the Atletico defender, who was sent off in the 76th minute. Mikautadze converted the resulting penalty to give Villarreal a 2-1 lead.

Despite being down to 10 men, Atletico found a way back.

In the closing stages, Alex Baena delivered the ball to Giuliano Simeone on the right. The forward kept his composure and finished past Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior to make it 2-2.

The late equaliser earned Diego Simeone’s side a point, but the result was overshadowed by the growing uncertainty around Alvarez and the increasingly hostile reaction from Atletico supporters.

With the transfer speculation continuing and the club now keeping him away from the stands, Alvarez’s situation has become one of the main talking points surrounding Atletico.