After the Champions League draw, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona club executives, Gil Marín and Rafa Yuste, clashed fiercely over the future of Alvarez.

Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, CEO of Atletico Madrid, stated this Thursday that Argentine forward Julián Alvarez "is in a really bad place because someone has been deceiving him." The executive has explicitly ruled out negotiations with Barcelona but has not ruled out the possibility of selling Alvarez to other clubs. Gil Marín made these remarks on the Movistar+ program after Atletico Madrid's involvement in the 2026-27 Champions League group stage draw. He said, "The player is in a really bad place right now. Someone has been deceiving and misleading him, and honestly, I feel very sorry about it because I know him, and we have been working with him for some time. He is a very good person, an excellent professional, and a talented footballer." Gil Marín also stated that Alvarez "is completely confused and is currently in a very, very difficult situation both personally and professionally."

The head of Atletico Madrid's management expressed strong anger following remarks made by Barcelona president Laporta on Wednesday. Laporta had expressed interest in "Spider" Alvarez, and according to reports, the player had been absent from training for two consecutive days due to illness. Faced with this situation, Gil Marín sharply criticized Barcelona: "The truth is, this makes us even angrier because dishonesty, lack of ethics, lack of transparency, and unprofessional conduct disgust us." At the end of his statement, Gil Marín made it clear that his stance on Alvarez's future would not change. He said, "The only definite and firm decision is that we will not negotiate with Barcelona under any circumstances. I have been working in football for over thirty years, and this is my commitment—one of the few things I can stand by. During my tenure, this player will absolutely not transfer to Barcelona."

Barcelona responded through the club's vice president, Rafael Yuste. After the Champions League draw, Yuste also gave an interview on Movistar+ and expressed regret regarding Gil Marín's comments: "What surprises me is that Miguel Ángel Gil, who knows me, would make such remarks. I think these words are completely inappropriate, lacking both courtesy and respect." The Barcelona executive defended the club's and Laporta's track record, emphasizing that Barcelona has been an example of "hard work, professionalism, and delivering results" for many years. Addressing Atletico Madrid's accusations, Yuste expressed disagreement: "I believe these words have crossed a line, and I completely fail to understand or agree with these statements. Of course, I am upset about them." Finally, Rafael Yuste emphasized that Barcelona always respects other clubs and players. He stated: "We are a club that respects our opponents, we respect Atletico Madrid, and we genuinely respect all players worldwide." He reiterated Laporta's previously expressed stance: "If a player wants to join a club, then of course we would be happy about it, and that's all."

On Cadena COPE's 'Partidazo de COPE' program, commentator Gonzalo Miró also weighed in on Atletico Madrid's Argentine forward. He expressed it very clearly: "Now there are clearly two options. The first is, if Arsenal reaches an agreement with Atletico Madrid and the player ultimately wants to leave, then he joins Arsenal. The other is that he stays at Atletico Madrid and sits on the bench." Miró then added: "The key is that he has a contract. Don't forget that. No one is breaking the law, so let's not overcomplicate things. I believe that in the current situation, the wisest and most beneficial option for Atletico Madrid is to sell him."

Finally, Gonzalo Miró spoke about which solution he would prefer: "As an Atletico Madrid fan, what I would personally most like to see is Julián Alvarez stay and face the consequences for handling things so badly. Furthermore, he should also blame his agent, who is the real instigator of this whole situation."

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