ALVARO MORATA'S wife has slammed Spanish newspaper El Confidencial for trying to "sink" the striker in a controversial article.
Morata, 31, is set to captain Spain when they face France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals on Tuesday night.
However, he sparked a storm this week by threatening to QUIT the national team after the tournament.
The Atletico Madrid striker claimed: "In Spain, there's no respect for anyone," citing the poor treatment he has received throughout his playing career.
El Confidencial criticised Morata for the comments and claimed he is an "embarrassment" to Spain.
The Spanish outlet published an article headlined: "Morata, a captain who embarrasses Spain and not only because of his poor form at the Euros."
It accused the striker of being a "crybaby" and suggested his behaviour has been "immature and reprehensible" in the build-up to the semi-finals.
Part of the controversial article read: "This captain does not represent Spain. He embarrasses it with his statements, which, by repeating them so often, make it credible that in Spain he is being mistreated or there is a personal persecution."
Morata's wife, Alice Campello, has slammed the treatment of her husband, stating the article would "generate more hatred" ahead of a huge occasion for Spain.
She wrote on Instagram: "I hate to play the victim and stir up more controversy, but this doesn't seem normal to me, I'm sorry. Is this normal?
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"The only thing I see as poor quality is being a journalist, having studied for it and writing a headline like this when Spain is one day away from playing a semi-final.
"It amazes me that instead of encouraging a player you dedicate yourselves to trying to sink him... How do you think a person can give the maximum for his country when he feels that no one believes in him?
"What do you want to achieve with the headline? Generate more hatred towards a person?
"Congratulations, everyone can write their opinion and everyone is free to express it and no one ever pleases everyone, but there are ways and ways of saying things, even more so when you are from a newspaper and you have so much power to condition young people. Do we really want this?"
She also defended Morata in a second post, writing: "These players have fathers, mothers, wives and children who read these gratuitous barbarities. This one from the newspaper is a simple example.
"We must think before speaking about how we would feel about what we are doing. I repeat: everyone is free to say what they think, but without offending.
"It's all a matter of taste, but we must respect if we want respect."
Campello married Morata in Venice seven years ago and they now have four children together.
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