Alvaro Morata’s partner speaks out against abuse from fans for misses on the pitch

Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is in red hot form this season, with many declaring his run as the best he’s ever been. While much of his career has seen him struggle against the expectations of those around him, he was set to battle it out with Memphis Depay for the number nine spot, but has instead made it his own, scoring 12 times and assisting for three goals in 15 appearances.

Yet he has been through his share of tough times. Recently Morata opened up on his mental struggles with the game, even admitting that he had considered leaving the game due to the pressure and impact it was having on him.

Now Alice Campello, his Italian partner, has revealed that it is not just Morata himself that suffered during the tough times.

“I’m learning not to read a lot of things. You can do a lot of work on yourself, and I’m doing it. It used to happen to me that I would go to the stadium and [Morata] would miss a goal or something and they would give me a dirty look. They even yelled at me.”

It was then suggested by the host of the interview, Violeta Mangrinan, and confirmed by Campello that they looked at her as if it were her fault, as covered by Diario AS. Mangrinan compared it to the treatment that Victoria Beckham received during David Beckham’s playing career, calling football ‘neanderthal’ and ‘misogynistic’ in that regard.

No doubt the rapid rise of footballers into global stardom and celebrity culture has brought with it a number of unwanted effects, including regular attempted robberies. The celebrity nature of their existence also means many footballers have become reluctant to reveal their personality in fear that it might bring unwanted attention, whereas previously there was little shyness about what kind of characters were on the pitch.