Barcelona’s Álvarez row ends with Laporta-Atlético embrace

Barcelona’s Álvarez row ends with Laporta-Atlético embrace Barcelona president Joan Laporta says he has repaired his relationship with Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín after their clubs’ summer dispute over Julián Álvarez. Laporta said the two embraced during the 33rd General Assembly of the European Football Clubs (EFC) in Copenhagen, with the close of the transfer window allowing them to move beyond their disagreements. The dispute followed Barcelona’s pursuit of Atlético striker Álvarez, which irritated the club’s hierarchy and prompted public criticism of Barça’s financial conduct and transfer-market strategy. The episode made for an unusually visible institutional clash between two of La Liga’s leading clubs. Laporta says the Álvarez dispute is behind them Atlético’s concerns, as described in the account of the dispute, centred on Barcelona publicly discussing a player under contract while Barça’s own finances were under scrutiny from La Liga authorities. Gil Marín had described the situation as a “private circus.” Barcelona’s pursuit of Álvarez had already brought tensions between the clubs over the forward into the open. The fallout also included disciplinary scrutiny of Barcelona’s approach and a public confrontation between Laporta and Gil Marín . The reported reconciliation offers a clear change in tone, though Laporta’s account does not amount to a joint statement from both clubs. Laporta says “everything is clear” Laporta presented the embrace as a sign that the personal and professional rift had been smoothed over. He told reporters: “We saw each other and hugged. I’m sure we’ve already smoothed things over, and from now on everything is clear. He’s a fantastic man who I feel very comfortable with.” Joan Laporta during a meeting with Ilham Aliyev. His comments indicate that he considers the summer’s disagreements settled. The Barcelona president also said the end of the transfer window had helped both sides leave the dispute behind, rather than allowing it to continue into the new season. Barcelona return to the EFC as full members The Copenhagen gathering also marked Barcelona’s return to full participation in the EFC. Laporta had attended an assembly in Rome in late 2025 as a guest; at the Copenhagen meeting, Barcelona were full members with restored voting rights, according to the account of the assembly. EFC leader and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi welcomed Laporta back and publicly acknowledged Barcelona’s return to the collective fold. Laporta also used the gathering to improve ties with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, whose relationship with the Barcelona chief had been strained after the European Super League project began in 2021. The reconciliation with Atlético came amid this wider effort to rebuild Barcelona’s relationships across European football, but Laporta’s comments on Gil Marín remain the clearest sign that the summer’s dispute has eased.