'They took Lee Kang-in off in just 60 minutes...' Diego Simeone's firm remark: 'I am not going to substitute Alvarez'... Controversy also erupts in Spain

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"I am not taking Julian off."

Criticism is emerging locally over Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone's decision to substitute Lee Kang-in (25) early, while keeping the underperforming Julian Alvarez (26) on the pitch until the end of the match.

Atletico-focused outlet Into The Calderon reported on the 10th (Korean time), "Manager Simeone told head coach Gaby in the second half of the Barcelona match, 'I will not substitute Alvarez.' At the time, Manager Simeone was preparing for substitutions, and these decisions ultimately determined the outcome of the game."

Atletico suffered a 1-2 comeback loss to Barcelona in their home match on the 9th at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, in Round 12 of the 2026~2027 Spanish La Liga season.

With this result, Atletico stands in third place in the league with a record of 9 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses (28 points). Meanwhile, Barcelona maintained its top position with 11 wins and 1 loss (33 points).

Lee Kang-in started the match and delivered an impressive performance. In particular, he set up the opening goal. In the 10th minute of the first half, Lee Kang-in received the ball on the right flank and sent a precise left-footed long pass to Alvarez on the opposite side. Alvarez's cross was finished by Julianno Simeone to score the first goal.

Lee Kang-in continued to show aggressive movement against Barcelona's defense afterward. However, he was substituted for Alexander Sorloth in the 15th minute of the second half, ending his appearance after just 60 minutes.

In contrast, Manager Simeone showed faith in Alvarez until the very end. In fact, Alvarez played a full 90 minutes. However, the turnaround that Manager Simeone had hoped for did not materialize. Instead, it only left regret.

Although Alvarez assisted on the opening goal in the first half, he missed two decisive scoring opportunities. He failed to even attempt a proper shot in one-on-one situations with the opposing goalkeeper, and in the second half, he attempted a lob shot exploiting the goalkeeper's advanced position, but the ball went wide of the target. Ultimately, Atletico lost to Barcelona.

Criticism of Manager Simeone's substitution tactics also emerged locally. Into The Calderon strongly criticized Alvarez's performance and questioned Manager Simeone's decision to keep him on the pitch until the end.

The outlet explained, "Manager Simeone substituted Lee Kang-in for Sorloth. He then brought in Morten Hjulmand for Alex Baena. However, he left Alvarez on the field."

It continued, "I cannot fully express in words how fed up I am with Alvarez. He is no different from a reincarnation of Joao Felix (Al-Nassr). I simply cannot understand why Alvarez was allowed to play all 90 minutes," it criticized.

It further pointed out, "Manager Simeone's second-half substitutions dismantled everything that had gone well in the first half."

In fact, Alvarez has been struggling with poor form this season. He appeared in eight league matches but managed only one goal and two assists. This is a stark contrast to his explosive performance last year, when he scored 29 goals in 29 official matches during his debut season with Atletico in the 2024~2025 campaign.

The outlet emphasized, "The problem is that Alvarez has not been showing his best form for over a year."

However, Manager Simeone's thinking was different. Not only did he give Alvarez a full-time appearance against Barcelona, but he also defended him after the match.

Manager Simeone stated, "Alvarez played an important game," adding, "Everyone wanted him to score, but we will wait for him. He is a player we need."

He emphasized, "We need the best Alvarez to reach where we want to go. Otherwise, we cannot achieve our goals."

In contrast, Into The Calderon pointed out that Manager Simeone relies excessively on Alvarez.

The outlet criticized, "Manager Simeone continues to put Alvarez in matches, waiting for his form to improve. However, the current way of using Alvarez is no longer sustainable when considering the team as a whole."

It added, "Atletico is a good team. But it lacks a number 9 striker who can turn a good team into a great one. The club continues to present Alvarez as that very striker. It is incomprehensible."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original