Atlético Madrid coach celebrated Julián Álvarez‘s return to scoring and stressed the Argentina forward’s importance in his club’s ambitions this season.
Álvarez scored the equaliser in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Stuttgart in the Champions League, his first goal for Atlético since April 29.
“It was a brilliant goal and I’m really pleased with him — we need him,” Simeone told his post-match news conference.
“Above all, I’m happy for the performance he put in — an incredible physical effort. He played parts of the match as an inside forward on the left.
“He is crucial for getting to the places we need to get to. Let’s hope that, little by little, he can find himself in what he showed us today.”
The Argentina international endured a difficult summer as he tried to force a move away from Atlético to Barcelona.
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Álvarez remained at the club after Atlético refused to let him walk out despite interest from various clubs. He joined the Rojiblancos in the summer of 2024 from Manchester City.
Before Tuesday’s goal, Álvarez had provided just two assists, one in LaLiga and one in European competition. Álvarez had impressed in last season’s Champions League, scoring 10 goals on Atlético’s run to the semifinals.
“He’s been creating plenty of chances for a few matches now,” Simeone said.
“He needed this goal, and I hope it’s the first of many.”
