News · From the live show
'Julián's not coming off': Simeone overrules Gabi on Álvarez
On 'El Club de Uría', the view is that Simeone kept him on the pitch to spare him another round of jeers
'El Club de Uría' tries to make sense of Simeone's decision not to take off Julián Álvarez
Movistar cameras caught Gabi asking Simeone about substituting Julián Álvarez against Barça, and the Argentine flatly refusing. It is being read as a way of shielding him from the crowd.
Rubén Uría brought up footage aired by broadcaster Movistar from the match against Barça: midway through the second half, Gabi suggests to Simeone that Julián Álvarez be taken off, and Simeone replies that Julián is not coming off.
Miguel Peris described the scene in detail: Simeone answers him firmly, and Gabi turns serious, takes two steps back and goes along with what the boss says. His reading is that Simeone did not substitute him so that he would not be whistled.
Rubén Uría agreed that this was the impression he had shortly after the final whistle, and Alfredo Collar nodded along to that interpretation.