Julian Alvarez's Transformation at Atletico Madrid
The mood around Julian Alvarez at Atletico Madrid has shifted. Not in a press room or a board meeting, but on a training pitch in Majadahonda.
On Monday, in Atletico’s first session since their league clash with Athletic Bilbao, the Argentine forward cut a very different figure from the one who, only weeks ago, seemed consumed by a failed push to join Barcelona.
Full squad, familiar structure – with one exception
Diego Simeone had almost everyone at his disposal. Only the injured Sorloth sat out. The structure of the session was classic Atletico: the starters from San Mames focused on recovery work, while the substitutes and unused players were put through an intense, high-tempo workout.
Inside that second group, Simeone carved out a training match with a clear purpose: pressing, winning the ball back fast and moving it sharply, as reported by Spanish outlet As. The drill was designed to mimic Atletico’s identity – aggression without the ball, clarity with it.
Alvarez and Jonathan David led the line. Koke, as so often, dictated from midfield. Behind them, Dominguez, Koke, Le Normand and Dani Martinez formed the defensive unit, tasked with building play and holding shape under pressure.
A new version of Alvarez
What stood out was not the system, but Alvarez himself.
Those watching saw a forward unshackled. He roamed, demanded the ball, dropped deep to link play. He no longer looked like a player carrying the weight of a transfer saga. He looked like a forward trying to reclaim his place at the heart of Simeone’s plans.
The highlight came with a goal that turned heads. Alvarez finished off a move strikingly similar to the one he executed at San Mames, a reminder of his quality in tight attacking sequences. It was the sort of finish that changes conversations inside a dressing room.
The conclusion from the session was blunt: this is not the same Julian Alvarez from a few weeks ago. His body language, his movement, his willingness to get on the ball – everything pointed to a player intent on starting again.
Extra running, extra message
When the main work ended, most of his teammates dropped into stretching routines. Alvarez did not. He stayed out with one of Atletico’s fitness coaches, running alone while the others wound down.
It was a small scene, but a telling one. The Argentine is still working his way back to full physical sharpness, and he knows it. The extra metres, the solitary laps, underlined a change not just in his condition, but in his attitude.
From the sidelines, voices rose in support. Teammates and staff could be heard encouraging him, a sound that would have felt unlikely in the midst of the recent storm.
From crisis to opportunity
Not long ago, Alvarez was at the centre of a full-blown crisis. He had pushed to leave for Barcelona. Atletico Madrid refused outright. The stand-off cast a shadow over his performances and his presence around the squad.
Now, in Majadahonda, the picture is different. The transfer door closed, the noise has faded, and what remains is a forward fighting to reassert himself in red and white.
If this “new face” of Julian Alvarez holds, Simeone may find that the biggest turning point of Atletico’s season did not come in a stadium, but in a training session far from the cameras.
