Álex Baena acknowledged that the Spider's statements about his desire to play in Barcelona did not sit well with his teammates, although he emphasized that he later apologized
In this regard, Baena assured that he understands the anger of the supporters and considered that the player himself knows he needs to work to reverse the situation. "It probably affects him a lot; he knows what he did back then, he has already apologized, which is something that greatly elevates him to apologize publicly. We also understand the Atleti fans being upset about how he did it, but Julián is working hard and is working to get to the level", he pointed out.
It is worth remembering that, a few weeks ago, Julián Álvarez himself also publicly apologized to Atlético supporters. "I wanted to apologize to our people for my words during the World Cup. The truth is that it was a mistake on my part, both in terms of the manner and the timing", he stated.
The former River player also acknowledged the discomfort his words caused among Colchonero followers. "Especially because I understand the people's anger. I too, as a fan, would have been upset", he admitted. "Moreover, for how they have supported me throughout all these years and these last weeks. They have been very generous, so I value that a lot", he added.
"Now I have to focus on working, on continuing to improve my performance alongside the whole team, which I also want to thank because they have supported me during all this time. So, nothing, just work, because we have very important things with the team", he concluded.
The 2-1 defeat against Barcelona at the Metropolitano was not the only topic that left Julián Álvarez in the spotlight. The Argentine forward is still trying to rebuild his relationship with a portion of the Atlético de Madrid fans after expressing months ago his desire to play for the Catalan team. In this context, Álex Baena referred to the episode, acknowledged that it caused discontent within the locker room, and highlighted the attitude the Córdoba player had to mend the relationship with his teammates.
In an interview with El Larguero, the Spanish midfielder recalled the statements that La Araña made during the 2026 World Cup, when he left open the possibility of leaving the Colchonero to fulfill his dream of wearing the culé team's jersey. "It's a bit strange for a teammate to publicly say they want to leave. It didn't sit well with us. I understand that a player might hesitate if Barça or Real Madrid come for you, but I think the manner is what bothered us the most", he explained.
However, the midfielder made it clear that the problem is behind them and that his teammates were willing to support any decision Álvarez made. In that sense, he revealed that once his continuity at Atlético was defined, the forward gathered the squad and apologized for what had happened. "We would have supported him in whatever he decided to do. He is a very intelligent guy and knew what he did and how it could affect us. He apologized to everyone, and that really elevates him", Baena shared.
The situation with the fans, on the other hand, is still different. After the initial displays of dissatisfaction, which included boos and signs against him, Julián began to regain some recognition from the stands, although he has not yet received the same affection as before the conflict.
