Teenager arrested for threatening to kill Alvaro Morata and his family after Spain captain's decisive penalty miss in Nations League final against Portugal

Spanish police have arrested a 19-year-old man in Malaga for allegedly issuing death threats against Spain national team captain Morata and his family on social media, a report from COPEsays. The threats followed Morata's missed penalty in the Nations League final against Portugal earlier this month in Germany, which led to Spain's defeat.

The suspect reportedly posted the threats from his personal account, targeting not only Morata, currently playing for Galatasaray, but also his children. The posts quickly gained widespread attention online. Morata's wife, Alice Campello, even publicly condemned the threats on Instagram after posting screenshots of the hateful threats targeted towards Morata's family.

Two days after the death threats were posted online, the suspect visited a local police station in Malaga to report his account as hacked in an attempt to establish an alibi. However, cybercrime investigators uncovered inconsistencies in his story. A forensic analysis of his mobile phone revealed conclusive evidence linking him to the threats, confirming him as the alleged perpetrator.

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the future of Morata with La Roja. Following his heartbreaking penalty miss, the 32-year-old spoke in detail about his struggles with mental health as he has been contemplating international retirement. The striker, while admitting that his battle with depression has taken a big toll on him, also openly discussed how much the insults and lack of support from the Spain national team faithful has affected him. It remains to be seen whether he makes himself available for selection during the September international break.