Madrid, June 24 -- Atletico Madrid will file a formal complaint with FIFA after striker Julian Alvarez said he wants to leave the club, with the Madrid side accusing Barcelona of illegally negotiating with the Argentina international.
Alvarez said after Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria in the World Cup on Monday that leaving Atletico would be "the best thing for everyone," prompting concerns within the club that he had already held talks with Barcelona.
Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil told reporters that if Barcelona had negotiated with Alvarez while he remained under contract, it would constitute a breach of FIFA regulations because the player is in a protected period of his contract, which runs until June 2030.
"Our responsibility is to ...