Almeida defends Atleti: 'We are not respected enough'
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of Madrid and a well-known Atlético de Madrid fan, attended the Laureus Awards ceremony, where he shared his views on the Rojiblancos club.
Almeida acknowledged the team’s difficulty in maintaining concentration after the disappointments suffered, but urged them to give their all to qualify as high as possible and take advantage of the unique opportunity represented by the Club World Cup, highlighting the absence of FC Barcelona in this competition.
When asked about the Copa del Rey final, Almeida expressed his support for Real Madrid. Furthermore, he openly declared himself a ‘Cholista’, emphasizing that the day Simeone is no longer in charge of the team, his figure and importance to the club will be even more appreciated.
Almeida did not avoid the controversy surrounding Julián Álvarez’s penalty at the Metropolitano, stating that ‘Atlético is not respected enough’. He supported the legal actions initiated by Los 50 and the International Union of Fan Clubs to clarify what happened and determine whether the video of the incident was manipulated.
‘Atléticos deserve to know everything that happened,’ he stated. Finally, Almeida referred to Antoine Griezmann, noting that the player ‘has earned the right to do whatever he wants at this club’.
