World Champion Slams 'Stupid' Star: 'Be Humble!'

Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez faces a hostile reception from his own fans as his public desire to leave the club and join rival Barcelona intensifies. Supporters have booed the striker at nearly every touch during the team's first two La Liga matches against Malaga and Villarreal.

The situation has drawn sharp criticism from former French international and 1998 World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry. "The player and the people around him are idiots. How can you publicly say: I want to leave the club? Is he stupid or what?" Dugarry questioned on RMC's "Rothen s'enflamme."

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The player and the people around him are idiots. How can you publicly say: I want to leave the club? Is he stupid or what?

Dugarry drew parallels to Antoine Griezmann's previous attempts to leave Atletico for Barcelona, advising Alvarez to adopt a more prudent approach. "Shut up, be humble and smart in your communication. Didn't you see what happened to Griezmann? Don't you know your club and its fans? When you try to reach an agreement, the first thing you must not do is turn your own fans and club against you. This way, he completely made a mistake," the former player concluded.

While Dugarry acknowledged that Atletico should not force a player who wishes to leave to stay, he stressed that Alvarez's method of forcing a transfer is misguided. Atletico is reportedly seeking at least 150 million euros for the player, with English club Arsenal also showing interest.

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Shut up, be humble and smart in your communication. Didn't you see what happened to Griezmann? Don't you know your club and its fans? When you try to reach an agreement, the first thing you must not do is turn your own fans and club against you. This way, he completely made a mistake.