Alemany points to state of relations between Atlético and Barcelona

Atlético Madrid's sporting director Alemany said relations with Barcelona are correct after summer tensions over Julián Álvarez, ahead of their La Liga clash.

Mateu Alemany, Atlético Madrid's head of men's football, spoke to Movistar Plus+ before the match against Barcelona at the Metropolitano, addressing the institutional relationship between the two clubs following a contentious summer transfer window dominated by the Julián Álvarez saga.

Almany emphasized the intensity of La Liga's title race, warning that the champion may need 97 or 98 points to win. He stressed that consistency is essential for any club aspiring to the title. On Atlético's European setback against Bayern Munich, he separated the contexts: "Europe is another story.

Tuesday's stumble is behind us and the group has already switched focus. Barcelona demands maximum effort; they are among Europe's elite. The table shows a minimal two-point gap, so today's prize has double value for both."

Regarding Álvarez's form, Alemany dismissed any concerns: "Julián has shown remarkable level for weeks. His current performance is optimal. We have his best version, the one that makes the difference in the final metres." On relations between the club hierarchies after summer friction, Alemany stressed normalcy: "Relations between the entities are correct. We shared the official lunch between directives peacefully and without incident.