Young man from Malaga arrested for threatening to kill footballer

The National Police have arrested a 19-year-old man from Malaga for allegedly threatening footballer Álvaro Morata and his family. The suspect is believed to have spread several threatening comments through social media, saying that he would kill Morata and his children after the football player missed the penalty during the Nations League, in which Spain lost to Portugal.

The threats were widely reported on the internet, causing an uproar. Model and influencer Alice Campello - Morata's wife - denounced the very serious messages she had received through Instagram: "I'm going to kill your husband, if I see him in the street. I'm not going to leave him alone for a single moment. Same with your children. I'm going to kill them with my own hands, I hope no one survives," read the messages.

Just two days later, the suspect went to the provincial police station to report that his account on a social media had been 'hacked'. The officers verified that the threats against the professional footballer had been sent from the same account.

In addition, the police found inconsistencies in the young man's account, who tried to file a complaint as an alibi to disassociate himself from the events. However, during the analysis of the suspect's mobile phone, the police found evidence that showed that he was the author of the threats. Eventually, the man admitted.

Morata has been heavily criticised for his performances on the pitch. In his recently released documentary - Morata: no saben quién soy (Morata: They don't know who I am) - he talks about the depression he has suffered as a result of harsh comments.