Laporta and Gil Marín embrace in Copenhagen as Julián Álvarez dispute fades

Barcelona president Joan Laporta declared his feud with Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín settled after the two men embraced at the 33rd General Assembly of the European Football Clubs (EFC) in Copenhagen, bringing an unusually public institutional clash between two of La Liga’s biggest clubs to a close.

The dispute had flared during the summer transfer window when Barcelona pursued Atlético striker Julián Álvarez while their own finances remained under scrutiny from La Liga authorities. Gil Marín had publicly described the situation as a “private circus,” and the episode drew disciplinary attention to Barcelona’s approach of openly discussing a player under contract at a rival club. The fallout produced a direct public confrontation between the two executives.

Laporta told reporters after the Copenhagen assembly: “We saw each other and hugged. I’m sure we’ve already smoothed things over, and from now on everything is clear. He’s a fantastic man who I feel very comfortable with.” He added that the close of the transfer window had helped both sides leave the disagreement behind rather than allowing it to carry into the new season.

The Barcelona president’s account does not constitute a joint statement from both clubs, and Atlético have not publicly confirmed the reconciliation. Laporta’s comments nonetheless represent the clearest signal yet that the summer’s tensions have eased.

The Copenhagen gathering also marked a broader reset for Barcelona on the European stage. The club attended as full members of the EFC with restored voting rights, having been present only as guests at a Rome assembly in late 2025. EFC leader and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi publicly welcomed Laporta back into the collective.

Laporta also used the trip to improve his relationship with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, strained since Barcelona’s involvement in the European Super League project in 2021. The reconciliation with Gil Marín sits within that wider effort to rebuild the club’s standing across European football’s institutional landscape.