FC Barcelona splurged a massive deal back in 2019 to secure the services of Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann. However, the move did not go according to plan for the club as the player failed to deliver for the Blaugrana and was shipped back to Madrid for one-sixth of his transfer fee. In an interview, a former Atletico Madrid legend blamed Lionel Messi for holding him responsible for Griezmann’s failure with the club.

Griezmann made a hundred and two outings for Barcelona and found the back of the net just 35 times. The player had a lackluster time at Camp Nou and was subsequently loaned to his former club. Following his return to Atletico, the player is back at his best this season. The French star, in his nineteen outings for the Rojiblancos, has already found his name on the scoresheet thirteen times. But in Barcelona, he struggled to find his feet. 

Luis Garcia blames Lionel Messi for Antoine Griezmann’s failure at Barcelona

In an interview with Pulse Sports, former Atletico Madrid icon Luis Garcia questioned FC Barcelona for their usage of French star Antoine Griezmann. The Spaniard claimed the club did not provide the player enough freedom to excel at his role.

Garcia claimed sharing the same position with Lionel Messi was one of the key reasons behind the player’s failure at Camp Nou. The Spaniard claimed, “I think that when Griezmann got to Barcelona, they tried to find a position for him on the pitch. That was all much more complicated at Barcelona because there was already a player that had that role: Lionel Messi.”

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He added, “He (Griezmann) had to be in a fixed position, as with most players at Barcelona. They play differently. The philosophy is that you have to maintain your position, and only certain players have freedom in the midfield.”

While Garcia did question Barcelona’s use of Griezmann, he gave full credit to the player for reinventing himself following his stint with the Blaugrana.

Ex-Atletico Madrid icon praises Antoine Griezmann

Garcia was full of praise for Griezmann in the interview. The ex-Atletico star stated, “He is mature – we can see how hard he works, not just technically. We know his capabilities, that he is one of the most talented players we can see today: he assists, he scores goals, he works hard.”

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Griezmann seems to have found his form following his return to Atletico Madrid. The player has been one of the best players in La Liga this season, finding the back of the net nine times. The Frenchman is just behind English superstar Jude Bellingham in the race for the Golden Boot, with the Real Madrid star leading the race with eleven goals to his name.

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