“Antoine understands Atletico’s values, for sure,” says Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak. “He left for two years, but when he returned he was very happy to come back with us. He is doing everything he can to help the team and the club to get the results we want.”
Oblak was speaking. The Athletic at the Civitas Metropolitano stadium for last week’s premiere of the new Amazon Prime documentary: Another Way of Living: Atletico de Madrid.
Antoine Griezmann, the most prominent Atletico player during the four-part series, attended the screening at the Estadio Metropolitano with his team-mates. He hurried along the red carpet but did not make eye contact with reporters.
The France international was clearly not keen to talk about his situation — he has, rather strangely, not started a game this season but keeps getting introduced as a substitute just after the hour mark.
This is due to the complicated loan arrangement that Griezmann used to return to Atletico. BarcelonaThe summer of 2021. Nobody disputes that this deal included a clause that would make the move permanent in 2023 for €40million (£35m; $40.1m). However, the clause states that the clubs must play a certain amount of games and have to agree on the terms. This is a conflict that has become increasingly difficult for both sides.
We’ll explain this contract situation in more detail as we go, but for now, the basic position is that Atletico think that by playing Griezmann for less than 45 minutes per game, they can pressure Barcelona into accepting a lower price to sign him permanently next summer.
Nobody at the club has said that publicly, but his unusual position is an open secret and captain Koke addressed his team’s best-paid player being allowed to feature for at most a third of all their games at the premiere.
“Antoine gives everything, whether he plays 60, 30, 90 or 5 minutes on the pitch,” Koke said. “Every player who puts on this jersey gives everything he has. We are happy to have him here, a decisive player, scoring goals.”
The 31-year old has displayed remarkable patience in not making this an even bigger issue and continues to make an important contribution to his team.
Yet, a solution must be found in the coming weeks. The January transfer window seems like the deadline. At that point, one option may be for him to leave to join another club permanently.
This is how it all began, and what comes next.
Griezmann talks about another transfer deadline day in episode one. He was there with France’s national soccer team.
“I was in my room and my teammates were all asking me if the deal had been closed,” Griezmann says. “Some were congratulating me and I was going, ‘No no, it’s not done yet, don’t jinx it. Nothing is for sure yet.’ From 10pm until midnight, when the deal was sealed, I was in bed, feeling every possible emotion. At the end, I was overcome with emotion. At 12:01, I was very happy.”
This was 31 August 2021, when Griezmann’s return to Atletico after two difficult seasons at Barcelona was sealed at the last moment. All summer, Barcelona’s sporting director Mateu Alemany had wanted him off the wage bill, but he made it clear he would only leave for one club. Atletico already had many forwards like Joao Felix or Luis Suarez. However, Simeone convinced Angel Gil Marin to make a big push for a reunion with a player and person that he trusts and can identify with.
Griezmann was so keen to return that he accepted a 40 per cent pay cut, down to €10million a year. That was still the highest salary at Atletico (apart from Simeone’s) and he also had to deal with some team-mates and fans being unhappy about how he had left for Camp Nou. In the documentary, you can see the tension that he felt upon his return.
“I haven’t been sleeping well since all this started,” he tells the cameras as he gets out of his car at Atletico’s training ground on his first day back. “I hope I can sleep peacefully now that I’m finally here.”
Griezmann and Joao Felix with Angel Correa at the documentary premiere (Photo by Atletico Madrid).
He still hangs on to his formal presentation as Atletico’s player two years earlier. Club president Enrique Cerezo jokes on camera that “you should have listened to Erika”, a nod to Erika Choperena, Griezmann’s wife, having advised him not to leave for Barca in his own “decision” documentary back in 2018. The player responds with a nervous, shy smile.
As he settled back into Atletico, his normally open personality was clearly inhibited. He was nervous, even though his team-mates were familiar with him. He was so determined not to be noticed that he cut his long, elaborate ponytail which he had grown during Camp Nou. His performance on the pitch was affected by the fact that he was opposed to by a significant amount of spectators. In his first five matches La LigaHe did not have one shot at the target in games.
“I understand some people are still not happy with my presence here, and I try to work at 10,000 per cent to turn that around,” Griezmann says in the doc. “I am in the process of making people fall in love with me again.”
This was a slow process that led to setbacks. He scored two great goals against LiverpoolIn the Champions LeagueThen, he was sent to an inadvertent high-challenge. He was unable to overcome a hamstring problem that he couldn’t shake after scoring three goals and two assists in five La Liga matches through October and November.
The problem was that it was difficult to return to Atletico’s rigorous training regime after two seasons of more physically demanding sessions in Barcelona. After his January return to action, he was able to stay for 34 minutes before falling asleep again. It was his most severe injury in all of his career.
“I was devastated, sad, to be again away from my team-mates and my football,” Griezmann tells the cameras. “Feeling useless is the worst that can happen.”
The doc is co-produced by Atleti Studios, which is funded by La Liga’s CVC money, and the makers were well aware of who would be the most high-profile star and storyline of the season.
In a typical Atletico twist, the reconnection with the club’s fans comes in a game the team loses. After being so close to pushing, it was a bittersweet moment. Manchester CityDue to the Champions League quarterfinals being extended, both players and supporters can remain after the whistle has blown to enjoy an emotional quarter hour together.
“Atletico’s supporters are special,” Griezmann says in the doc. “They are unique, that is why I was in tears, and I enjoyed it. Even though I was sad, I really enjoyed that moment.”
As the team improves, he plays in all 13 La Liga games. He secures third place on the final La Liga table. But he doesn’t score in any of them, leading to more awkwardness as he reacts to applause from the stands as he is subbed off in the final home game of the season.
“I left quickly as I thought, not yet, I don’t deserve this applause,” he says. “I hadn’t scored a goal for 14 games, it was not the moment. One day I will be able to receive the Wanda applause, which is due for the hard work I have done on the pitch and in the goals. Then I will gladly accept it.”
This summer, Griezmann did get to put in a full pre-season under Atletico’s ultra-demanding fitness coach Oscar “El Profe” Ortega. It was unclear if Griezmann would be able to attend another reception at the stadium, as the complex loan agreement that was signed 12 months ago was now a problem.
At the time, Barcelona’s announcement of that deal seemed straightforward. “The Madrid club will pay the player’s wages and there is a compulsory permanent transfer clause,” they said. It also wished Griezmann all the best for his future. While it was a loan deal, there was no expectation that he would ever play again at Barcelona.
Over the following weeks, details of the “permanent transfer clause” leaked out. Atletico would pay €40million in the summer of 2023, once Griezmann had played 45 minutes in 50 per cent of their games for which he was available (not injured or suspended). Atletico wouldn’t pay anything if Griezmann participated in less than 50% of those games.
Griezmann played 80 percent of the games that he was available, so this was not an issue last season. Simeone still considered Griezmann to be a crucial member of his team, even though he had some health issues. So it followed that he would again play most of Atletico’s games in 2022-23 and the deal would go through. This was what Barcelona expected.
Atletico was feeling financial pressures this summer. Their wage bill of €200million is too high, especially after the return of Alvaro Morata Saul Niguez from loans at Juventus and Chelsea. There was a feeling that €40million for a player who will by then be 32 was quite a lot.
Atletico’s Gil Marin contacted Barcelona’s Alemany during this summer’s transfer window to suggest the negotiation of a lower fee. Atletico felt that they had leverage considering all the Barca was doing to raise funds to strengthen their squad. And nobody at Camp Nou wants to even think about the idea of Griezmann returning on his previous wages (€21million a year before tax). Frenkie would be just as troubled as Frenkie. But Barca did not cede and this year’s deadline passed without any change in the situation.
The Catalan club’s stance was that the deal could not be renegotiated as the clause has already been fulfilled. Griezmann featuring in 80 per cent of the available games in 2021-22 triggered automatically the requirement to pay the full €40million next summer. Griezmann is no more their player. “We think he’s an Atletico player,” said Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez last week.
Atletico’s stance is obviously different. According to them, the most important calculation is the number of games Griezmann has played in 45 minutes over the entire two-year period. While he was active last year, this season has seen him play zero games. Metropolitano hierarchy considers him free from any obligation if he is only seen on the bench during the second half.
Barca are sticking to their side, to the point of asking their legal team to prepare a legal demand to force Atletico to pay the €40million, no matter what happens this season. Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, said that it could all end in a case before a commercial arbitration court.
The situation has also put a spotlight on the not-always-comfortable relationship between Simeone and the Atletico board. Enrique Cerezo, club president, has stated repeatedly that Simeone is free to pick any player. El Cholo, however, has accepted a plan that was formulated above him in the hierarchy. “I am a good club man and I always will be,” he has repeated over recent weeks when pressed for his thoughts on the situation.
Griezmann finds himself in an awkward situation, but he is willing to do what is best for Atletico. “You spin the globe and stop it right here, this is the best place for me, for my family, where I am happiest,” he says in the doc. “I feel proud of being a part of this club.”
It’s amazing how calm such a prominent player can be. World Cup winner who has been on the podium at the Ballon d’Or awards, has accepted being put at the centre of such an embarrassing situation.
Simeone is a great admirer of Griezmann, but has decided to keep the approach of starting Griezmann on the bench (Photo by Getty Images).
“It is what it is, it’s out of my hands,” he said after scoring in Atletico’s 2-1 Champions League win over Porto on September 9, the only time he has spoken in public this season. “I’m grateful to God for being here. My family is happy. Although I would like more, I’m going to do my best in the few minutes I have. I feel like a club man, I am happy here, and I just want to play here and give everything for the club, for el Cholo and for the fans.”
Atletico believe that by uniting, they can get Barcelona to lower their price. The situation was described by a source who requested anonymity due to its sensitive nature. Philippe Coutinho’s move to Aston Villa permanent for half the sum mentioned in the Brazilian’s initial loan agreement.
It does not matter what, but a solution must be found quickly. Griezmann is currently on track to attend the World Cup with France in Nov without having played any club games this season.
Griezmann can move again if the dispute remains unresolved, possibly even as early as January. Manchester UnitedThey were just one of many Premier League clubs to inquire about him during last summer’s transfer window. The player at that point was only focused on staying at Atletico and did not listen to any other options, but everyone’s patience is getting tried at the moment.
Atletico’s pitch plan didn’t seem to pose any problems during the first month. Morata, a centre forward, scored the first goals of the season. Joao Felix, a supporting striker, gave three assists against Getafe on the opening day and looked generally in good health. Griezmann, a sub impact player who often played a deeper role in midfield, scored three goals in the four first games.
Simeone came off the bench and scored the goal against Porto in the win. He now has 26 club-record goals for the Champions League. Simeone said that night with a smile: “I love him a lot and he is one of the most important players in the entire history of Atletico Madrid. He gives us so much in the time he plays, 32, 36, or 15. He needs to be strong mentally and stick to the path we believe in at the moment.”
Each game becomes more difficult, however, and the idea of a self-imposed restriction becomes less appealing to all. On Tuesday night Bayer LeverkusenGriezmann carried on his usual pace just over the hour mark for his 300th Atletico-related game but was less influential, his team losing two late goals. “When Griezmann is on the pitch, we play better,” said Simeone after that game, with more of a grimace than a smile.
300 Games! Orgulloso❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/zAC4tU2u11
— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) September 15, 2022
Sunday’s La Liga “derbi” against Real Madrid is now Atletico’s biggest game of the season so far. Title holders Real are five points ahead in the table. Atletico’s win would place them in the early title race. A defeat would leave no chance of any challenge to the trophy.
Griezmann has five goals in 10 La Liga derbis, including hitting Atletico’s only goal in both meetings last season. Simeone can Simeone leave Griezmann on the bench once again given the crucial importance of this fixture. Could he change his mind and bring him into the team with the huge spotlight now?
It seems that such a situation could only be at Atletico.
“It’s another way of understanding life, a special way,” as Oblak says. “It is difficult to explain it, but you notice it, you feel it when you are inside the club, or when you support the club. It is hard to imagine what it must be like for people outside. Nothing is easy in life, and this club always fights for things, as you have to in life.”
(Top photo: Berengui/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
