Christophe Dugarry condemns Alvarez's Atlético exit saga

Christophe Dugarry has sharply criticised Julian Alvarez and his representatives as the forward’s dispute with Atlético Madrid deepens. The former France international said their handling of the situation had damaged relations with the club and its supporters, after Alvarez was booed and insulted when he came on at the weekend. Dugarry also argued that Atlético should allow a player who wants to leave to move on rather than prolong the conflict.

The dispute comes as Atlético sit third in LaLiga 2026 with four points from their opening two matches. Diego Simeone’s side have scored four goals and conceded two, while their wider recent run includes three defeats in five games: a 5-1 loss at Villarreal, a 1-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo and a 1-0 loss at Arsenal. Their other results were wins over Girona and Osasuna.

Alvarez, 26, is a former Manchester City striker and Barcelona’s main target to replace Robert Lewandowski. Atlético chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin considers him unavailable and will not sell him to the Catalan club, leaving the player’s future unresolved. Both sides have until September 1 at 23:59 to find an agreement. Atlético’s next league match is away to Sevilla on August 29, when Simeone could again involve the Argentine forward.