Atlético president fires back at Arsenal’s complaints about the pitch and shuts down Julián Álvarez rumors

Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo spoke to reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Champions League semifinal first leg against Arsenal — and he didn’t hold back.

Asked about complaints from the English press regarding the condition of the Metropolitano pitch, Cerezo brushed them off with a smile: “I bet they haven’t come here to see it for themselves. The pitch is perfect — fantastic. I don’t know what they’re complaining about.”

Atleti with a score to settle

He also addressed what this matchup means for Atlético, framing it as a chance to settle old scores:

“If we beat Arsenal, we’ll close a big wound — and several others from the past. But first you have to advance, and to advance you have to play well. We need to stay sharp, and that’s what we expect from our players tonight.”

And when the conversation inevitably turned to the nonstop social‑media noise surrounding Julián Álvarez’s future, Cerezo cut it off immediately: “He’s an Atlético Madrid player. Today, tomorrow, the day after, and next season. At this point, insisting on this topic is just irritating.”

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