Atlético Madrid fell 2-1 to Barcelona on November 8, 2026, at the Metropolitano stadium during the twelfth round of La Liga.
Club presidents met at a traditional board lunch before kickoff on November 8, 2026.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that institutional and personal ties had returned to normal after a difficult period.
Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo declared the matter settled before the fixture. For Barcelona, the Julián case was resolved at the time. We said what needed to be said, and there is no need to delve into this any further. Anything he needs to prove, he will prove on the pitch. I am confident that he will be the star of the match.
Cerezo left the player’s reception to the supporters stating that The fan base is the one in charge, and if they have something to say, they will say it. As for us, the file has been completely closed.
Cerezo noted that the best apology the Argentine forward could offer the supporters would be scoring two goals and securing a victory.
Álvarez set up the opening goal for teammate Giuliano Simeone. He missed two clear chances against Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García.
Laporta emphasized that Raphinha’s positional shift was independent of past pursuits. Changing Raphinha’s position had nothing to do with the attempt to sign Julián Álvarez.
Laporta noted regarding Raphinha that He is the best player in the world in his position; he is a very complete player.
The Barcelona president added that Raphinha performs well as a central number nine and moves across the attacking line. Statistics show that Barcelona remains a preferred opponent for the Argentine attacker, against whom he has contributed four goals and three assists in previous encounters.