Atletico mocks – Atletico Madrid fired back at Barcelona with posts mocking their bid for Julian Alvarez, accusing the club of a wider smear campaign and pointing to the ongoing dispute over alleged payments linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. The latest clash adds to a hi
Atletico Madrid chose a sharp, public moment to answer Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez. The message wasn’t delivered in a quiet statement. It landed as a mock post, followed by language that the club itself described as “more serious.”
In one of the posts, Atletico finished its remarks by warning that reality can be manipulated. “Remember, it took us just five minutes to create this fake post. We live in an era where reality can be altered. Don’t believe everything you see, especially if it’s related to Barca.”
Then Atletico escalated. In a further post. the club said. “In recent months. we’ve been suffering a smear campaign against one of our players. ‘Leaked information with ulterior motives. ‘fake news’. constant disrespect. the culé version of the propaganda machine inventing little stories. calls before direct match-ups.”.
Atletico ended that thread with a blunt denial of its own wrongdoing: “But of course, it wouldn’t occur to us either to have the referees’ vice-president on our payroll or to resort to political favours to register players. RESPECT and VALUES.”
The line directly referred to alleged payments Barcelona made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee. That investigation is still ongoing. Barcelona, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing.
This isn’t the first time the relationship between the two clubs has turned into open conflict. Atletico previously challenged Barcelona during their attempt to sign Antoine Griezmann in 2019, accusing them of disrespect in the pursuit.
Griezmann did move to the Nou Camp, but he rejoined Diego Simeone’s side two years later. The French forward returned initially on loan. Now he is part of a longer storyline of transfers and recriminations that has repeatedly pulled the rivalry into the spotlight.
Julian Alvarez sits at the center of the current tension. The Argentine has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season. Atletico signed him in 2024 from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £81.5m.
Even as the clubs trade barbs, Alvarez’s future appears headed elsewhere. He is set to join Major League Soccer side Orlando City this summer.
The timing is what makes this latest spat feel so loaded: Atletico isn’t just reacting to a player being linked to Barcelona. It’s framing the pursuit as part of a wider conflict—one that. according to its posts. goes beyond transfer talk and into propaganda. leaks. and accusations tied to an unresolved investigation into payments involving Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
Atletico Madrid Barcelona Julian Alvarez Orlando City Major League Soccer Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira referees committee Antoine Griezmann Manchester City Diego Simeone Griezmann loan transfer rivalry