ÁLVARO MORATA: FOCUS AND FUN FACTS

Presenting Álvaro Morata, someone who needs no introduction. From Madrid to Milan, the Rossoneri's first move in the transfer market is already exciting the fans, and he is living out a dream summer: first with Spain, after lifting the Euro 2024 trophy as captain and leader, and now joining AC Milan. He is a top-class addition to Coach Fonseca's squad: the Spanish striker has excellent qualities and will bring all his international experience to the service of our forward department. A physical, technical and quick player, a good finisher and good in the air, too, he is also a strike who links up well with his teammates. Standing 1.89m tall, the newly-crowned European champion has grown from season to reach ever higher heights.

Born on 23 October 1992 in Madrid, Álvaro started off his football journey in Atlético de Madrid's youth sector, before moving to Getafe and then finally joining Real Madrid in 2008, where he made his first-team debut on 12 December 2010 against Real Zaragoza in La Liga. After over 50 official appearances with the Blancos, he came to Italy and signed for Juventus in 2014. He had two significant years, making 93 appearances and scoring several important goals, especially in the Champions League. He was then recalled to Madrid by Real (15 goals in 26 league matches in 2016/17) before jetting off to London, for Chelsea, where he remained until January 2019, before returning to the Spanish capital again, but this time going back to Atlético.

In the last five and a half years he has divided his time between the Rojiblancos, where he netted a total of 58 goals (including 21 last season) in 154 appearances, and a two-year period at Juventus between 2020 and 2022. Morata's career is full of success, and his trophy cabinet is equally full of trophies. Among these, he has two Champions Leagues and a Club World Cup with Real Madrid that stand out, and two Scudetto league titles with Juventus. Álvaro is also a key element of the Spain national team. Grabbing many goals with the junior teams - 13 in as many official matches for the U21s and eleven in 13 for the U19s - and then 36 goals scored with the La furia española in 80 appearances, it is a tally which has seen him rise - following the recent European Championship - to fourth place in Spain's all-time top scorers list. The trophy just lifted is not the only trophy won with his national team: he also has the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League added to his rich list of successes.

As we wait for Álvaro Morata to wear the Rossoneri jersey for the first time, which may come in the Silvio Berlusconi Trophy on 13 August, let's find out about some fun facts and stories regarding the31-year-old striker.

NICKNAME
Álvaro is nicknamed El Ariete - the Ram - due to his physical and playing characteristics. Back home in Spain, he has been compared to Fernando Morientes, a Spanish striker born in 1976 who played for Real Madrid, Liverpool and Valencia, among others, that similarly possessed power and determination, earning him the nickname from a young age.

ITALY IN THE HEART, DESTINED FOR MILAN
We have seen how our country played an important role in Álvaro's professional development, and the same goes for his personal life, too. In 2017, in fact, the new Rossoneri striker married Alice Campello in Venice, who he met for the first time in Milan in a restaurant near the Arena Civica. The couple have four children and who all possess Italian names: Alessandro, Leonardo (twins), Edoardo and Bella.

NOT ONLY FOOTBALL
There wasn't and isn't just football in Álvaro's sporting life. As a child, he was passionate about tennis and practised it for a few years, and in recent years he has been "spotted" in the stands of big tennis tournaments on several occasions. In recent years - during the lockdown - he has also become passionate about golf, a way to relax and ease the pressure of football.

A SHOW OF SUPPORT
Morata has always been aware and involved in social issues, showing his support and highlighting instances on several occasions, such as when he cut his hair in support of children suffering from cancer in 2014 - "The children wanted to have the same cut as me, but they couldn't, so I changed it to become like them", he said - or when, in the midst of celebrating winning the European Championship, he moved Spain by dedicating some beautiful words to Maria, a little girl suffering from Ewing's sarcoma.

PAST MEETINGS WITH THE DIAVOLO
Álvaro Morata has crossed paths with the Rossoneri seven times, all when he played for Juventus: the Spaniard scored three goals in these matches. With the Rossoneri, he will meet back up with three teammates who he has already shared the dressing room with at Chelsea: Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and Tomori.

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