Striker Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid claims he did all in his power to remain with the club after making his loan from Barcelona permanent on Monday by signing a contract until 2026.
The striker returned to the Metropolitano after a trying stint at Camp Nou in August 2021, after his €120 million transfer from Atletico in 2019.
In a video posted by Atletico on their social media platforms, Griezmann stated, “I’m really thrilled because it’s what I wanted since I returned.”
“I tried all I could to remain at Atletico, to enjoy being at the club, with the coach, my colleagues, the stadium, and the supporters.
“I talked with the club when I realized I could remain for a long time. I didn’t think too much since I knew what they wanted from me. What I had to accomplish didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to remain here, that’s all.
According to reports in Spain, the 31-year-old decided to take a pay cut in order to extend his stay at Barcelona.
Griezmann stated, “I would sacrifice everything for my team, the coach’s confidence, the support of the fans, and Atletico.” “I’ll do everything to get the badge. I could blow opportunities or passes, but I’ll give it my all right up to the very end. I want people to feel and see that.
“The supporters go out of their way to come, get season tickets, and cheer us on. This is my tribute to the supporters.
The 2018 World Cup champion was a key player in Diego Simeone’s plans last season, but he has mostly been used as a substitute this year as Atletico Madrid wanted to avoid paying a rumored €40 million acquisition price if he played over a certain number of games.
Griezmann wanted to play more since the World Cup was coming up, so Atletico and Barcelona negotiated a new contract. Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced the cost at the club’s members assembly on Sunday.
Laporta said, “It is for €20m plus four additional variables.
There is one more provision in the agreement to sell the player: “If Atletico decides to sell him in the future, they will be required to pay us the difference that remains, up to the value of the €40m which was previously negotiated.”
The price of the new contract was not made public by Atletico.
Over the course of his two stays in the city, Griezmann has played 303 times for the team and scored 144 goals.
He scored 35 goals in 102 games with Barcelona, where he also won the Copa del Rey in 2021. He was scheduled to join Barcelona in 2018, but he notoriously chose to remain at Atletico for one additional campaign, announcing his decision via a television program titled “La Decision.”
His greatest achievement in club football came with Atletico, when he won the Europa League and Uefa Super Cup in 2018.