Euro 2020 - Spain striker Alvaro Morata reveals he and his family have received death threats due to his performances
ByTNT Sports
Updated 25/06/2021 at 10:43 GMT+1
Alvaro Morata says he has had to turn his phone off after his family received death threats for missing some big chances for Spain at Euro 2020. Morata has scored once at the tournament - against Poland in Spain's second group game - but has missed a string of golden goalscoring opportunities and was whistled by a section of the home crowd at La Cartuja stadium in their opener against Sweden.
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Spain striker Alvaro Morata says his family have received death threats due to his performances at Euro 2020.
Morata started all three of Spain's Group E games and has come under heavy criticism for his displays against Sweden and Poland. He also missed a penalty in La Roja's 5-0 win over Slovakia in their final group game.
The 28-year-old Atletico Madrid forward, who is set to play a second successive season on loan at Juventus, says he was unable to sleep because of the abuse his family suffered after Spain's 1-1 draw with Poland on Saturday.
"I understand that I am criticised because I have not scored a goal," he told Cadena COPE.
"But I wish people would put themselves in the place of what it is like to receive threats, to be told that your children should die.
"Every time I get to the dressing room, my phone goes somewhere else. What bothers me is that they tell my wife, that they tell my children - they are going through Seville with their dad’s name on their shirts. They tell them everything.
"I had to put my phone away this week.
"I didn't sleep at all these past few days, because of the adrenaline. I didn’t sleep for nine hours after the (Poland) game - I understand criticism for not scoring, I accept it. I wish people would put themselves in that position of your family receiving death threats.
"I'm very happy, but it bothers me not to do my job well. The fans whistled at me before warming up, but I'm happy to take the penalty (against Slovakia) and have missed it."
Ahead of Spain's Round of 16 tie with Croatia on Monday, Morata says he is now "fine" and has been able to mentally overcome the torrid of abuse.
"I'm fine, maybe a few years ago I would have been screwed," he added. "I've spent a couple of weeks isolated from everything. I'm super happy and super motivated with reaching the Round of 16.
"We talked in training how football has changed, in the last Euros we started better and we arrived in the Round of 16 in another way. It's football and I'm happy, whoever doesn't believe it, doesn't know me."
The forward has previously said he stopped enjoying football while he was at Chelsea from 2017 to 2019.
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