Published 10:46 IST, December 12th 2019
Antoine Griezmann opens up on his motive behind leaving Atletico and joining Barcelona
Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann has spoken up on his idea behind leaving Atletico Madrid and his struggle to get along with his teammates at Barcelona.
Barcelona defeated Inter Milan on matchday six of the UEFA Champions League. The Catalans topped Group F with four wins and two draws. Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann recently spoke to UEFA TV in which the World Cup winner spoke about his move to Barcelona.
Antoine Griezmann moved to Barcelona last summer
Antoine Griezmann secured a move to LaLiga Champions in the previous summer for a reported fee of €120 million. Griezmann was on the receiving end when Barcelona visited Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano. He has been frequently blamed for ditching Atletico and being greedy of winning titles at Barcelona. However, he clarified that he did not leave Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League or to win more titles. His main motive was to learn a new game, new philosophies, new type of football with another team. He stated that Atletico could have won the league and the Champions League any year.
Atletico Madrid played two Champions League finals
Atletico Madrid played two Champions League finals in 2014 and 2016, losing out both the fixtures against their city rivals Real Madrid. On being quizzed about Atletico’s Champions League failure, Griezmann commented that it still hurts him a lot. He would even feel hurt after winning the competition with Barcelona.
Antoine Griezmann has found it difficult to adjust at Barcelona
Griezmann has found it difficult to adjust at his new team, with some even doubting his ability to succeed at Barcelona. Griezmann stated that he had to learn to play in a new position and also understand his new teammates. He accepted that he is yet to pick up the movements of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and the central midfielders.
Griezmann has also been in the news for his reported rift with Lionel Messi. However, he affirmed that he is a very shy person who does not usually talk to others. He assured that he was getting to know Suarez and Messi. He further confirmed that they had already been for dinner together and he will look for more such opportunities in future.
Griezmann has managed to score six goals with four assists in 20 games. His team is currently leading in LaLiga with 32 points. Barcelona will next play against Real Sociedad on Saturday, December 14, 2019.
Updated 14:23 IST, December 12th 2019