After scoring his second goal of the season against Deportivo A Coruña in a 1-0 win on Saturday night, striker Julián Alvarez apologised to Atlético Madrid fans for his behaviour in the summer.
The Argentine spoke during the World Cup to ask the club to allow him to “fulfil his dream” of a move away from the Rojiblancos, but a serious offer never materialised from his reported suitors in Barcelona.
Fans have reacted furiously, whistling and booing Julián in the opening games of the season.
“I wanted to apologise to our fans for the comments I made during the World Cup,” he said in comments to Movistar after the final whistle. “The truth is that it was a mistake on my part, both in the way I said it and the timing, and, above all, because I understand the fans’ anger. As a fan myself, I would have been angry too. What’s more, given how they’ve stood by me and supported me throughout all these years and these last few weeks, they’ve also been very generous, so I really appreciate that.
“Now I need to focus on working hard, on continuing to improve my performance alongside the whole team, whom I’d also like to thank for supporting me throughout this time,” Alvarez said. “So, that’s it, back to work, as we’ve got some very important things to do with the team.”
Alvarez scored his first goal of the season in a 1-1 draw against Stuttgart on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, and scored his first La Liga goal since February by notching against Deportivo on Saturday.
