AC Milan’s new striker Alvaro Morata has found himself embroiled in a public dispute with Marco Ballarini, the mayor of Corbetta, a small town near Milan where the Spanish footballer recently moved. The conflict arose after Ballarini announced Morata’s relocation to the town on social media, prompting a strong reaction from the player.
Ballarini, an Inter Milan fan, posted on Instagram a photoshopped image of Morata in a Milan jersey with “Corbetta” replacing the player’s name. The mayor wrote, “Alvaro Morata is from Corbetta, here we go. No, it’s not an early April Fool’s joke. Champion Alvaro Morata is our new Corbetta citizen! The Spanish striker, Milan’s new signing, is finalizing the paperwork for his official move to his new (wonderful) home in our city.”
Morata responded sharply on Instagram, stating, “Dear Mr. Mayor, thank you for violating my privacy. Fortunately, I don’t own any valuables; my only treasure is my children, whose safety you have disturbed. I thought the municipality of Corbetta could guarantee me some privacy, but instead, I find myself having to change houses immediately due to your inability to use social media and protect your citizens.”
The mayor initially replied with another Instagram story featuring Inter Milan’s logo and the caption “Bye bye.” However, he later offered a more conciliatory tone in an interview with Radio Rossonera:
“I haven’t spoken to Morata yet, but he’s still welcome in Corbetta. I would try to ensure his necessary privacy. Honestly, I don’t think I did anything wrong. If Morata had called me or let me know, saying ‘I’d prefer to be less visible,’ I would have taken down the post. This has been blown out of proportion from his Instagram story. Two years ago, Onana moved to Corbetta and it made the newspapers. I don’t understand why Morata made such a fuss now. It doesn’t even seem like a major story. I’d definitely make peace, maybe with a glass of sangria. I’m disappointed by his overreaction. The people who learned from Morata that he had found a home in Corbetta were surprised by his reaction. We have 20,000 residents; there aren’t many houses here.”
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