Julián Álvarez has revealed that his limited role in Manchester City’s 2022/23 Champions League-winning campaign played a significant part in his decision to leave the club. The Argentine forward, who joined Atletico Madrid for £81 million in August 2024, admitted he sought a “different challenge” where he could play a more prominent role, particularly in crucial matches.
Álvarez did not feature at all in the Champions League final against Inter, remaining an unused substitute. He also did not play in the semi-final first leg against Real Madrid and was limited to just one minute of action in the second leg, although he did manage to score.
Speaking to Infobae, Álvarez expressed his gratitude to Manchester City but acknowledged his desire for more consistent playing time in major games. “The truth is that City, since I arrived, trusted me,” he said. “They brought me from River to Europe. I played a lot of games, scored a lot of goals, we won titles. That was perfect. And if I had stayed there I would have been comfortable too. I always said that I am very grateful to the club, but I did need something. Something inside me told me that I needed a different challenge, to look for something new, which was not motivation, because I will always want to continue for more, but something that, I don’t know… A different challenge in my career. And I felt that here could be my place to develop better, to find my best version as a footballer. So it was a bit because of that.”
He specifically highlighted his lack of involvement in the Champions League final: “I do want to play the most important games. As I said, I don’t know, in the Champions League final; I didn’t get in. In the semi-final I didn’t play much, and I would have liked to play in those kinds of games.”
During his time at City, Álvarez scored 36 goals and provided 17 assists in 103 appearances, with 61 of those being starts. He often found himself playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland, although manager Pep Guardiola occasionally deployed him in midfield due to the intense competition for places.
Since moving to Atletico Madrid, Álvarez has flourished, scoring 20 goals and forming a potent attacking partnership with Antoine Griezmann. His comments shed light on the motivations behind his departure from Manchester City, emphasizing his ambition to be a key player in the most important matches.
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