Joan Laporta has criticised Atletico Madrid for their conduct during Barcelona’s summer pursuit of Julian Alvarez, accusing the club of acting offended once talks broke down. Speaking at a Barcelona assembly, the president gave his fullest account yet of how the move collapsed and why relations between the two clubs cooled so quickly.
Barca made an approach for Alvarez during the summer window, only for Atletico to refuse any deal involving Barcelona specifically, even as they reportedly stayed open to selling the striker elsewhere. Laporta’s comments, first reported by the Mirror, lay out a version of events that goes beyond the usual transfer noise and puts the blame squarely on how Atletico handled the approach. For the fuller picture of how the saga developed, our FC Barcelona transfer news updates hub has tracked the story since it first broke.
Joan Laporta Criticises Atletico Madrid Conduct
Laporta was direct about how Atletico reacted once Barcelona made contact. He said the club had no real justification for its response, given the process followed the usual channels clubs use when discussing a transfer.
“They acted offended; they had no way to justify their attitude. We did what’s usually done: there was club-to-club communication, and then I spoke personally with Gil Marín. He told me he wasn’t coming because they had no alternative,” Laporta said.
That reference to Miguel Angel Gil Marín, Atletico’s chief executive, is the clearest confirmation yet that direct talks took place between the two clubs at the highest level, rather than through intermediaries or agents.
Primary Source Attribution & Official Details
Laporta went further, describing how Atletico’s stance appeared to shift depending on the buyer. According to his account, the Madrid club was willing to consider offers from almost anywhere except the Camp Nou.
“Then they reacted inappropriately. I don’t know why, I can imagine, but I have no proof. We were hearing that they would sell him to every club except Barça. Then they dropped the pretense and said it openly,” he explained, as reported by the Mirror.
Reports in the Spanish and English press have also claimed Alvarez asked to leave Atletico during the window, though that has never been confirmed by the player or his representatives. Separate press reports linked Arsenal with a move for the Argentine, but no official offer from the Premier League club has been verified. Both claims remain unconfirmed and should be treated as such.
Squad Impact & Tactical Context
Laporta was careful to frame the episode as closed business for Barcelona, rather than a wound the club is still nursing. He pointed instead to satisfaction with the group Hansi Flick already has at his disposal.
“That is now in the past and we are very happy with the squad we have and the coach is very happy with the extraordinary work of Deco,” Laporta said, crediting the sporting director’s summer work directly. It fits a broader picture of a club rebuilding its standing off the pitch too, something we explored in our piece on Barcelona’s financial power.
Former Atletico defender Diego Godin has weighed in on how the saga has affected Alvarez’s standing with supporters. “Julian Alvarez is a fantastic player,” Godin said, before adding a more pointed assessment: “He must be a great guy, but I think he made a mistake… The fans’ anger is completely understandable. We all get that someone might want to leave, but it’s about how you leave, the way you go about it.”
What Happens Next / Upcoming Timeline
Alvarez has featured only once in La Liga for Atletico since the transfer window shut, having missed two matches through injury. Godin believes the striker now has work to do to win fans back.
“I think we all agree that he messed up. Now he’ll have to face the music, and if he wants to repair the relationship, he needs to make good gestures toward the fans,” Godin said. He drew a comparison with Antoine Griezmann’s own difficult spell after leaving and returning to the club, saying, “I don’t know if Julian Alvarez will be able to repair the relationship.” Godin added that it took Griezmann a huge amount of effort to win the fans back, and that supporters will simply expect Alvarez to give everything on the pitch whenever he gets his chance.
Atletico Madrid face Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon, a fixture that will offer an early sign of where Alvarez stands with the home support after a turbulent few weeks.
