DBasia.news – Antoine Griezmann is always the target of Europe top clubs due to his impressive performance with Atletico Madrid. FC Barcelona are one of the clubs desired to sign him. However, he refused the chance to join Barca because there’s Lionel Messi there.
The relation between Griezmann and Barcelona was trending last season. At that time, Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu bluntly admitted that he adored Griezmann.
Griezmann needed time until the 2018 World Cup before deciding to refuse Barcelona and renewed the contract with Atletico. Griezmann felt Los Rojiblancos players didn’t want him to leave.
“Hard to refuse Barca? It’s very difficult. You have Barca who want you, who calls you, who sends messages,” Griezmann told Canal Plus.
“But then there is the club where you are, where you are an important player and where they build a project around you. Unconsciously, being Messi’s lieutenant may have played a part,” he added.
“But my teammates and club people did everything, they came to talk to me, increased my salary,” the player insisted.
Qualifying for Barcelona main squad is not easy. Even though Neymar has left, but it’s not easy to ensure Ernesto Valverde. Let’s say Blaugrana new midfielder, Malcom, still has no chance to perform.
“They did everything to show that it was my house and that I shouldn’t leave. It was really complicated times, especially for my wife where I woke her up at 3am to talk about it,” Griezmann mentioned.