The growing tension surrounding Julian Alvarez’s future has now sparked a strong reaction outside Spain, with former Barcelona forward and 1998 World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry delivering a scathing assessment of the striker’s handling of his situation.
Speaking on RMC SPORT (h/t AS), Dugarry criticised both Alvarez and the people advising him, arguing that the Argentine’s decision to express his desire to leave Atletico Madrid for Barcelona has made an already complicated situation even more difficult.
“The player and his entourage are idiots. How can you say ‘I want to leave the club’? Is he stupid or what?”, he said.
The former France international’s criticism was directed primarily at the public nature of the situation.
In Dugarry’s view, a player seeking a move should approach such a sensitive situation with greater caution, particularly when dealing with a club and fans who could feel betrayed by a public declaration of intent.
Alvarez should have handled it differentlyFor Dugarry, Alvarez’s mistake was not necessarily wanting a new challenge.
Rather, the former striker acknowledged that players should be able to pursue a departure when they genuinely wish to leave.
Christophe Dugarry has lashed out at Julian Alvarez and his representatives. (Picture credit: Stu Forster/Allsport)
His issue lies in how the Barcelona transfer situation has unfolded.
Dugarry pointed to Antoine Griezmann’s previous experience as an example of the risks involved when a player’s future becomes a public dispute involving Atlético Madrid.
“Keep quiet, be modest, be smart about how you communicate.
“Didn’t you see what happened with Griezmann? Don’t you know your club’s management? Don’t you know your fans?” he pointed out.
Dugarry also targets Alvarez’s advisersDugarry did not limit his criticism to the Argentine forward. He also questioned the role played by the people around the player, including his representatives and advisers.
Julian Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“And what about your entourage? Your agent? All the people around you?
“What’s the point of them? What a huge mistake to go around saying publicly that Barça is your dream,” he said.
Players should be allowed to leave, but…Despite his harsh words, Dugarry did make an important point. He does not believe that a player should be forced to remain at a club against his wishes.
Instead, he argued that the manner in which a player pursues a transfer can determine whether an agreement becomes easier or harder to achieve.
“The first thing you have to do when you want to reach an agreement is not to spit in the face of your fans or your club,” he concluded.
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