Alvaro Morata’s wife Alice Campello has fiercely criticised the Spanish media after her husband was branded a “disgrace” with a “persecution syndrome” ahead of the 2024 Euro semi-final against France.
Morata will lead his country to the last four in Munich on Tuesday but caused a storm by suggesting he would retire from international football after the tournament.
The 31-year-old Atlético Madrid forward admitted that it would be ‘easiest’ for him to move abroad due to the poor treatment he has suffered, and spoke about the impact on his family, which includes his wife and four young children.
Campello has now criticised the reporting of Morata’s comments in El Confidencial. The newspaper published an article with the headline ‘Morata, a captain who shames Spain, and not just because of his poor form at the European Championship.’
The 29-year-old claimed on Instagram that the article would “generate more hate.”
Alvaro Morata’s wife, Alice Campello, has criticised the Spanish media’s coverage of her husband
Morata had caused controversy with an interview on the eve of Spain’s semi-final at Euro 2024
Campello criticised an article that claimed the Spain captain was a ‘disgrace’
Campello criticized the article as an attempt to “create more hatred towards a person”
“I hate to play the victim and cause more controversy, but this doesn’t seem normal to me, sorry. Is this normal?” Campello wrote.
‘The only thing I consider bad quality is the fact that I studied journalism and then write a headline like this when Spain is only one day away from the semi-finals.
‘It amazes me that instead of encouraging a player, you focus on trying to sink him… How do you think someone can give the maximum for his country if he feels that no one believes in him? What do you want to achieve with the headline? To incite more hatred towards a person?
‘Congratulations, everyone is allowed to write their opinion and everyone is free to express it and no one is ever going to please everyone, but there are ways and means of saying things, especially when you are from a newspaper and have so much power to condition young people. Do we really want this?’
The fashion blogger, who married Morata in a beautiful ceremony in Venice in 2017, has three sons and a daughter with the star.
In a second message, she defended her husband, stressing that the players’ families also read the media comments and that they believe they deserve respect.
“These players have fathers, mothers, wives and children who read these gratuitous barbarities. This one from the newspaper is a simple example,” Campello added.
‘We must think before we speak about how we would feel about what we do. I repeat: everyone is free to say what he thinks, but without hurting.
“It’s a matter of taste, but if we want respect, we have to respect that.”
In another message, Campello stressed that families read the news and demanded more respect
Morata will lead Spain to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 in Munich on Tuesday evening
Campello married Morata in Venice in 2017 and the couple have four young children
Morata’s explosive interview with El Mundo has caused a stir in his home country by responding to ‘nonsense’ criticism.
‘It could be [my last tournament with Spain]’, Morata told the outlet. ‘It’s a possibility that I don’t want to talk about too much, but it’s likely.’
The striker played for Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea before moving to Atlético in 2019, where he was initially loaned. Relations with Spanish fans are tense.
He was booed during Spain’s Euro 2020 campaign and was notably booed during a friendly against Brazil at the Bernabeu in March.
“In Spain it’s hard for me to be happy,” Morata said. “Without a doubt [I’m happier outside of Spain]. I’ve said it many times. Mainly because people respect me.
‘In Spain there is no respect for anything or anyone.’
The 31-year-old is available for selection against France after incorrect reports he was shown a yellow card during the 2-1 win over Germany.
The other day people said I was crying [on the touchline] because I had been given a yellow card,’ added an angry Morata. ‘What nonsense is that! I was crying because my country, with me as captain, had reached the semi-finals.
Morata has raised the possibility of leaving Atletico Madrid this summer
Fashion blogger Campello has regularly supported her partner at competitions
‘I could never criticise someone who cries about it. But I would be criticised if I cut off my hand to win the European Championship.’
He continued: ‘I’m trying to enjoy this tournament, which may be my last matches with the national team, and whatever happens in the future will happen.’
‘Maybe they will miss me someday. Every day the moment of leaving comes closer, that’s why I enjoy it, that’s why I will cry for whatever happens, for better or for worse.’
Morata played in all five of Spain’s matches at Euro 2024, but the forward scored just once in Germany.
He opened the scoring in Spain’s 3-0 win over Croatia in the opening match of the Euro 2024 group stage, but has yet to score since.