Simeone refuses comment after Julián Álvarez skips post-match session

After Athletic Club beat Atlético Madrid 3-0, Atlético substitutes went back onto the pitch for the usual extra work. Julián Álvarez did not join them. Diego Simeone was asked why. He shut the question down.

Fabrizio Romano carried the exchange on Saturday. Simeone was asked why Álvarez did not train after the game with the substitutes. The reply was: "Are you really asking this question?" Then: "I have nothing to say." That is the full public comment. There was no injury bulletin attached and no timescale.

What was asked, and what was not said

At Atlético, unused or limited-minute substitutes often stay on the grass after full time while starters recover. Álvarez had come on during the second half in Bilbao and then stayed inside when the extra session started. A reporter put that observation to Simeone in the press conference. The coach treated the question as out of bounds and declined to add a reason.

No club statement named a knock, a disciplinary step or a planned rest. The news is the missed session and the refusal to discuss it on the record. Atlético had already taken a first league defeat of the campaign, with Nico Williams, Roberto Navarro and Oihan Sancet on the scoresheet for Athletic. That scoreline is closed. The squad item is not.

What comes next

Atlético's next team sheet will be read first for whether Álvarez is in the matchday group at all. Treat the post-match skip as squad news, not as a forecast of the following result.

La Liga broadcast rights differ by territory, so check the licensed partners listed for your market for Atlético's next fixture. The team sheet is what matters: if Álvarez is named, the Bilbao session is context. If he is not, Saturday's non-answer is the last official word until the club speaks.

Photo: stadium pitch / Unsplash.