A sports psychologist has weighed in on the situation surrounding Julián Álvarez, the Atlético Madrid star facing a major backlash from fans over his desire to move to Barcelona, at a time when his club insists on rejecting any such step.
In the midst of the 2026 World Cup, speaking in the mixed zone, the Argentine announced that "the best thing for everyone is the move, and I want to fulfil my dream".
Those words carried real weight. They earned him resounding boos at the start of the league season inside his own stadium, the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, both when his name flashed up on the video screen and when he stepped onto the pitch against Villarreal.
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The newspaper "AS" published an analysis by sports psychologist Marie Cartwright, drawn from an interview with "BBC Sport", where she addressed how players perform at home. That, she says, splits into "two points of view, one positive and one negative".
"The energy of the crowd increases adrenaline, and this generates a boost in players' effort and intensity," the expert said. She also pointed to the heavier pressure when players and the club are expected to get their decisions right: "This can make players' mistakes seem more serious to them."
Everything sharpens when the match is on home turf. Here the "threat state" comes into play: "Players may realise that the consequences are severe, so they feel they may face more criticism when playing at home."
Each player's football takes a bigger hit. The pressure mounts, and how it is managed is crucial for everyone. A player might say: "I can handle this, I have the necessary capabilities." Yet even that can lead to a situation similar to what the Atlético Madrid striker is going through.
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"This can make players believe that the consequences exceed their ability to deal with them ... the focus will not be the same, and thus the game becomes slower because they overthink things."