Enrique Cerezo says Atletico de Madrid have no intention of selling Julian Alvarez and is confident the Argentina striker can win back the support of the club’s fans within two matches, despite his publicly stated wish to leave for Barcelona.
Alvarez expressed his desire to depart Atletico and move to Barcelona during the World Cup, but the Madrid club have maintained their position that their leading forward is not for sale.
Speaking to Marca before Atletico’s opening La Liga fixture against Malaga on Wednesday evening, club president Cerezo said he was certain Alvarez would quickly change the mood among supporters.
“I don’t know now whether he will ask for forgiveness, but Julian is a wonderful person, and I am sure, absolutely confident, that he will win the love of the fans in two matches,” Cerezo said.
Barcelona maintained an interest in signing Alvarez throughout the summer transfer window. They made one offer, worth 100m euros, at the beginning of June, but Atletico rejected the proposal and refused to part with the player.
Cerezo reiterated that stance, saying the club’s position had been clear from the outset.
“I said from the beginning that he is not for sale. He is our player, an important part of our team, and that is why we want him with us and want him to stay. I think he will have a great season,” he said.
The Atletico president added: “Julian is an Atletico de Madrid player, he has a contract with Atletico de Madrid, he trains with Atletico de Madrid, and he is preparing to have a great and outstanding season.”
While Cerezo has made the club’s position on Alvarez’s future clear, the striker will not feature in Atletico’s opening match against Malaga.
Head coach Diego Simeone explained that Alvarez had not yet reached the required level of physical fitness to play. As a result, he was left out of the 24-player squad selected for the fixture.
Atletico insist that the decision is unrelated to the uncertainty surrounding Alvarez’s future. The club continue to regard him as part of Simeone’s plans for the new season and expect him to return once he has recovered full fitness.
The forward will therefore have to wait before beginning the task of rebuilding his relationship with Atletico supporters on the pitch. Cerezo believes that, once he is ready to play, Alvarez can quickly turn the situation around and deliver the influential campaign the club expects from him.
For now, Atletico’s public message remains consistent: despite Barcelona’s interest and the player’s stated wish to leave, Alvarez remains under contract, continues to train with the club and is considered an important part of the team.
