Argentine side Estudiantes de La Plata attack Atletico Madrid over signing of 18-year-old defender

This week, Estudiantes de La Plata’s Geronimo Spina has left the club in order to join Atletico Madrid. The Argentine youngster will become the second young defender to join Los Colchoneros this summer, after Santiago Mourino arrived from Racing Club de Montevideo.

While relations between Atletico and Racing Club are good, the same cannot be said for Estudiantes. They have released a statement, published on Twitter and their official website, in which they have issued a full-blown attack over Atletico’s signing of Spina.

Arrebato e ingratitud

El juvenil Gerónimo Spina se va del club arrancado, arrebatado, pero por sobre todas las cosas, con una ingratitud manifiesta a todo lo brindado por la Institución a lo largo de su formación, y eso es lo que más duele.Pudo más la codicia, la mirada a corto… pic.twitter.com/7juMG9dDvm

— Estudiantes de La Plata (@EdelpOficial) July 14, 2023

Estudiantes took aim at Spina and his representatives, calling them “greedy” and saying that he is leaving “through the back door”. Furthermore, they have accused Atletico of signing the teenager “without permission” and claimed that they are “taking advantage of the lack of legal protection that frames the issue”.

It is a truly remarkable story, one that Atletico Madrid are yet to respond to. It remains to be said how the situation moves forward, but irrespectively, Spina looks set to join his new club in the next few days.