“I had to experience it” – Julian Alvarez on why he swapped Manchester City for Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Julian Alvarez shocked many by leaving Manchester City during the summer, and it was also somewhat of a surprise that it was Atletico Madrid that he ended up at. However, for him it was a no-brainer.

Speaking to ESPN Argentina (via Relevo) in a recent interview, Alvarez spoke on his reasons for heading to the Metropolitano in the summer.

“It was a decision I had to take gradually, processing it on my own, then consulted with those closest to me. The guys told me to come, that I would be very comfortable, that they would make me feel good, that the club was great, and that I had to experience it from the inside to understand what Atletico Madrid means. Antoine (Griezmann) also told me that the fans were amazing, that I would fall in love with them.”

Alvarez also opened up on the conversations he had with Atleti head coach Diego Simeone.

“Before I joined Atletico Madrid, Simeone told me something that made me say, ‘I want to go down that path, I want to follow that way.’ It was one of the first conversations we had. He explained a little about how the club works, what he wanted from me, what he expected from me, and the project for this year and the years to come. We had some calls, WhatsApp messages, a bit of everything. At first, he sent some messages and even had someone else write to me.

“It’s good because he pushes you, he tries to make you grow and find your best version. That’s good because it’s what you want – to grow and learn many things, and I’m always open to that.”