It’s looking more and more likely that Antoine Griezmann would be donning a Barcelona jersey next season and while the Atletico hierarchy might be resigned to it, they certainly are unhappy with the way it’s playing out.
With Atletico still in the frame for a Europa League trophy, the buzz surrounding Griezmann is beginning to annoy Atletico higher-ups who feel that Barcelona’s public pursuit of their star player is very unprofessional and downright dirty.
With Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu admitting to having held talks with Griezmann’s representatives back in October and Luis Suarez hinting that he will soon be a team-mate of Griezmann, one can say the League Champions are being a bit too flippant about the deal.
CEO of Atletico Madrid Miguel Angel Gil Martin has released a statement stating how Atletico are fed up with Barcelona’s behaviour. The statement appeared on the club’s website.
“We’re fed up with Barcelona’s attitude.” it read
“That a president, player and a board member speak the way they’ve done about the future of a player with an existing contract and just a few days before disputing a European final, is an absolute lack of respect towards Atlético Madrid and its fans.
“Atlético de Madrid’s stance is very clear and has been made public on numerous occasions. Not once have we negotiated for Griezmann nor do we have any intention to do so.
“A few months ago, I personally expressed to Barcelona’s president that our player isn’t for sale nor are we going to sell him.
“At the same time, I let him know that his inappropriate conduct was against the integrity of the competition, especially since we’ve been competing for the league title throughout the season and Barcelona have been continuously pressuring one of the most relevant players from our squad.
“I also told him in that moment, that in the chance the player exercised his right to nullify his contract due to their pressure throughout the season that Atlético de Madrid would demand Barcelona compensation for their inappropriate behaviour.
“Enough is enough. I hope this statement serves its purpose and that us Atlético fans can enjoy this moment and prepare ourselves for a final like we should.”
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