Deco denies Barcelona pushed Álvarez to force Atlético exit as club rivalry sours

Barcelona sporting director Deco has denied that the club instructed Julián Álvarez to publicly declare his wish to leave Atlético Madrid, in remarks reported by Barca Universal and interpreted by Fabrizio Romano as a direct response to long-standing suspicion from Los Colchoneros.

The friction between the two clubs dates to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when Álvarez admitted he wanted to leave the Wanda Metropolitano. Because Barcelona had openly admired the Argentine forward, Atlético became convinced that Barça had encouraged him to go public in order to strengthen their negotiating position. That suspicion hardened into a genuine source of tension between the two institutions.

Deco pushed back firmly, describing Barcelona’s conduct throughout as entirely correct. He said the club approached Atlético with respect and that Atlético made their stance clear from the very beginning: Álvarez was not for sale. Deco was equally explicit that Barcelona never asked the player to force the issue through public comments.

The two accounts remain irreconcilable. Atlético have not abandoned their suspicion, and Deco’s intervention appears designed to draw a line under the dispute rather than to signal any fresh move for the striker. Romano has noted that the denial nonetheless confirms how strongly Barça coveted Álvarez, and that the player himself had a genuine desire to make the switch.

What actually happened behind the scenes may never be fully established unless Álvarez chooses to give his own account. For now, both clubs have stated their version and neither has shifted. The episode has left the relationship between Barcelona and Atlético visibly strained, and the question of whether that mutual interest between player and club can ever translate into a transfer remains entirely open — blocked, for the moment, by Atlético’s refusal to negotiate.