Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona forward, revealed this Monday that when he signed for the Barça club and spoke with Lionel Messi, the Argentine player acknowledged that he was “screwed” that he had rejected his team for the first time when he publicly bet on him.
It is one of the excerpts from the interview broadcast by Movistar Plus in the program ‘Universo Valdano’, in which Griezmann broke his silence to try to clarify some controversies and asked all those who have spoken ill of him to leave him “alone” and calm to be able to adapt to Barcelona.
Griezmann arrived at Barcelona two summers ago to start the 2019/20 season. After three coaches (Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setién and Ronald Koeman), he has been the subject of much criticism. The first, to say no to Barcelona the previous summer through a documentary (‘The decision’) that upset sectors of both clubs.
“I wanted you to see how you experience the fact of a signing, a possible change of team. It is what I wanted to show, which is not going to a candy store and choosing between blue and pink. It was complicated for me, I wanted to teach it. Many people thought it was a game, that I laughed at the fans and it was not like that, “he said.
«Your wife, your parents, your friends speak to you, they give you an opinion and you choose. A comment from anyone can affect you and raise doubts. But yes, my wife helped me in those moments. It was difficult. After the documentary my parents were very angry. Because of the decision, they wanted me to go to Barcelona, because of the documentary that they didn’t like. But it is what I wanted to do and demonstrate, “he added.
So, when he finally signed for Barcelona, he had a conversation with Messi, who a year earlier supported the signing of the one who is now his partner: «I spoke with Leo after when he arrived. He told me that when I turned down the first time it screwed him up and it hurt him because he had made public comments. The same would have happened to me. But he told me that since he was on his team he was going to be with me to death. It’s what I notice, “he said.
Griezmann decided to change clubs because, he said, he noticed that he needed to change of scene and learn “something else” after several seasons at Atlético. He also reported that the exits of teammates such as the Uruguayan Diego Godín and the French Lucas Hernández were key.
Regarding his lower performance at Barcelona, he said that one of the causes may be that he has had three coaches and, therefore, it has been difficult for him.
“It’s complicated when you come from a team with their style of play and you arrive at Barcelona, which is the opposite and you have three coaches and a pandemic without four months playing. I still need time to adapt to my colleagues and they to me, “he said.
He had words for each one and thanked Valverde for trusting him to play for Barcelona while pointing out that the coach asked him to play on the left creating spaces with Jordi Alba.
De Setién pointed out that he learned a lot about getting the ball and some uncheck marks while saying that his relationship with him was “normal.” He also referred to the words he had with the former Barça coach when he took him out in a game in the last five minutes.
«My parents sometimes told me to ask him why I didn’t play or why I changed. But if he didn’t ask when he played, he wasn’t going to ask when not. On Athletic day he wanted to talk to me. I told him it was not necessary, he told me it was only two minutes and he asked me what I wanted to know until when I was going to be angry. I told him that I was calm and that I was going to work without problems, “he said.
“They can create problems for me”
In addition, he referred to the words of Eric Olhats, who was his advisor and who spoke ill of Lionel Messi, causing the Argentine’s response. Griezmann reported that he had no relationship with Olhats for a long time.
With Erik, since the day I got married, I have no relationship with him. He was invited to my wedding at the table of honor with me and he did not come. I got really pissed off and from there I have no relationship with him. In the end it can do a lot of damage, it can create doubts in the locker room and it can create problems with Leo. But Messi knows that he is a very great example for me, I learn from him and he knows it ».
He also spoke about other statements by his uncle, Emmanuel Lopes, with whom he also has no relationship and who also spoke about Messi: “It hurts a lot and then my uncle does not know what football is about. A journalist speaks to you, the first hour you are more attentive to what you are going to say, but in the end the journalist wants the headline to get a minimum sentence and create controversy ».
Finally, he was annoyed by the comments made about his figure by the candidates for the Barcelona elections and said that he has enough with “his” for others to think if he was a good or bad signing.
“In general, sometimes they go a bit too much. I accept the criticism, I am not the best Griezmann, but I need help from everyone. Since I don’t speak, I am an easy target.
«It’s like a non-stop. Since I don’t speak, I give people their opinion. Always a bad thing. If it is not because of Leo, it is because of the future president, or because I want to leave the club … there is always something new and in the end I do not finish being calm and getting up in the morning without there being something. I want to answer. There is no problem with anyone. May everyone be calm and everyone leave me alone, “he concluded.
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