‘Is this normal?’ - Alvaro Morata’s wife Alice bites back at sensational ‘crybaby’ accusations from Spanish press during Euro 2024 that have left striker considering international retirement

The Atletico Madrid striker has captained his country at Euro 2024, scoring their opening goal of the tournament in a 3-0 victory over Croatia. Morata has 36 international efforts to his name through 78 appearances, but continues to attract criticism in his homeland.

As a result, the 31-year-old frontman has told El Mundo that he is now considering international retirement and a potential transfer abroad – with the Spanish press making life unnecessarily difficult for him, his partner and their four children.

Said comments have got gone down well with some, as El Confidencial have said in an article under the headline ‘Morata, a captain who embarrasses Spain and not only because of his poor form at the Euros’: “Who is Morata to speak ill of Spain? Not just once. He has done so on several occasions before and during the Euro Cup. This captain does not represent Spain. He embarrasses it with his statements, which, by repeating them so often, make it credible that in Spain he is being mistreated or there is a personal persecution.”

Alice Campello has responded to that feature by posting a lengthy statement on social media which reads: “I hate to play the victim and stir up more controversy, but this doesn't seem normal to me, I'm sorry. Is this normal? The only thing I see as poor quality is being a journalist, having studied for it and writing a headline like this when Spain is one day away from playing a semi-final. It amazes me that instead of encouraging a player you dedicate yourselves to trying to sink him... How do you think a person can give the maximum for his country when he feels that no one believes in him? What do you want to achieve with the headline? Generate more hatred towards a person? Congratulations, everyone can write their opinion and everyone is free to express it and no one ever pleases everyone, but there are ways and ways of saying things, even more so when you are from a newspaper and you have so much power to condition young people. Do we really want this?”

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The fashion blogger added on harsh criticism impacting friends and families: “These players have fathers, mothers, wives and children who read these gratuitous barbarities. This one from the newspaper is a simple example. We must think before speaking about how we would feel about what we are doing . I repeat: everyone is free to say what they think, but without offending. It's all a matter of taste, but we must respect if we want respect.”

Morata will be hoping to retain his starting berth, and the armband, for Spain’s Euro 2024 semi-final clash with France on Tuesday. The intention is to earn a shot at continental glory in that contest, with long-term plans for his international future being put on hold for now.