5 September 2026

Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone cut a frustrated figure on Saturday evening when he was asked about star forward Julián Alvarez.

The exchange came in the immediate aftermath of a miserable outing for the club, the player and the coach.

Atlético returned to La Liga action earlier in the day with a trip to Bilbao to face Athletic Club. The Rojiblancos went into the match knowing that a win would have taken them above arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish top-flight standings.

But by the final whistle at San Mamés, Atléti had instead been handed a worrying defeat. An unconvincing and disjointed performance across the park eventually saw Simeone’s side beaten 3-0.

To make matters worse, Julián Alvarez was once again met with a hostile reaction. The Argentine, introduced from the bench, was booed and whistled by the travelling supporters as he came on.

Speaking to reporters after the match, the Atlético boss was asked about the situation surrounding the transfer-linked Alvarez, and why the Argentine had not been seen cooling down on the pitch with his teammates.

Simeone, however, had no interest in expanding on the matter, replying:

“Are you really asking this question? I have nothing to say.”