Fans vs GF: Who will footballer Julián Álvarez choose?

Argentine football player Julián Álvarez might have lifted the FIFA World Cup 2022 with his team, but is he winning hearts, too? The question arises since the sportsman is being asked by his fans to break up with his long-time girlfriend, María Emilia Ferrero via an online petition, Julian, leave Mary Jane. The football frenzy is not understated since the petition has already received more than 20,000 signatures!

Wondering what caused the uproar? Flashback to the time when Ferrero stopped Álvarez from clicking selfies and signing autographs for young fans, while the couple was visiting their hometown on December 24; presumably for Christmas celebrations. And football fans the world over have showed their resentment towards Ferrero’s behaviour. Following the backlash, on December 30, 2022, Ferrero put out an apology on her Instagram story. The statement translated from Spanish reads: “Before we left, Juli went out to greet the boys and decided to take a group photo, so everyone could take that nice memory. I just tried to organise it. I apologise if the way I reacted was not the best, I hope you understand.”

Among the NCR-based football fans, some have signed this anti-Ferrero petition. “When I saw the video, I felt what a b***h! It’s so against the spirit of the sport,” says Akhil Pillai, a 30-year-old Delhi-based writer, adding, “The fans are what make the game.”

But fans have still pinned their hopes on this petition, for their newest football darling to break up with Ferrero. Pillai adds that he signed the petition almost as soon as he saw it, explaining, “The global fan base is a major reason why Argentina’s World Cup win was celebrated with such gusto. Stopping young fans from meeting their idol is really reprehensible.”

Sports enthusiast, Vimal Vijayan, who ardently watched the FIFA matches with his friends feels the relationship seems toxic. “It’s as though she’s afraid he’s going to be a bigger deal than her and is trying her best to stop Álvarez from realising it,” remarks Noida-based Vijayan, quipping, “Signing the petition is my own weird way of putting it out there that toxic relationships are bad, no matter what you do or where you’re from. He can do better than that. No sportsperson should have had to let any viewer down like that.”

On the other hand, there are some fans who feel that Ferrero’s reaction was justified. “When the incident happened, the couple were visiting their hometown for family time, and Ferrero only rejected individual requests and asked for a group picture instead. So, the reaction is understandable,” says Kunal Sachdeva, a Gurugram-based real estate-tech company employee.

Similarly, Mallika Sharma, a Gurugram-based football fanatic opines: “This petition is ridiculous! We love him for his football skills, why do we need to have an opinion about who he’s dating? Fans don’t get to dictate the personal lives of their idols.”

Author tweets @Kriti Kambiri

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