Antoine Griezmann could not believe it. Quique Setién, who had condemned him to substitute in three of the last four games with Barcelona, ​​ordered his departure on the field in the capital duel against Atlético. In the 90th minute. In this way, the coach breaks one of the codes of honor that are usually respected in football , especially when it comes to relevant players.

The Frenchman's displeasure with his coach was evident, as his closest environment admits. The gesture, degrading. And in the air, several questions: Why a footballer who led France two years ago in the achievement of the World Cup in Russia has become the last in line in attack behind Braithwaite, Ansu Fati or even a midfielder like Arturo Vidal ? Why has a player who cost 135 million euros [120 of clause and 15 more for that right of first refusal on several players that served to calm Atlético] gone from playing 86% of possible minutes before the pandemic to 44% since the tournament resumed?

Soccer, always twisted, throws a detail that Griezmann's circle does not overlook. Barcelona, ​​in this restart, have not won any of the three games in which the Frenchman stayed out of eleven . At Pizjuán, Griezmann left with 11 minutes to go (0-0). In Balaídos, in the absence of nine (2-2). And already at the Camp Nou against Atlético, in a duel with an important emotional component as it was his former team, he played the added time (2-2).

Setien was questioned on Tuesday night about Griezmann's situation, the coach could not be more clear: «It is difficult to put him without destabilizing the team. Luis Suárez must be tried in the field. And Messi, the same ». The Argentine, of course, has played the last six games in full. He is 33 years old and there is no other plan than La Pulga can imagine . The insistence on Suarez after five months of absence is more difficult to justify: in the last four games, 90, 85, 81 and 90 minutes of play. The hierarchical order in the dressing room remains unchanged, before an impassive Bartomeu and a Setien who has also submitted to the structure fixed in the dressing room for five years .

Beyond cyber complaints from his brother or father, Griezmann remains hopeful that his luck will change. In the house, few are those who see Quique Setién as coach of Barcelona next season . There are even those who discuss his presence in August as a foreman in the Champions, as much as President Bartomeu transmitted the idea of ​​continuing to count on him to his Cantabrian coach at his home.

Difficult exit

Regarding a hypothetical exit of Griezmann in the summer market, in Barcelona they continue without contemplating a premature sale. It would not be easy to recover the investment made by the French just a year ago in the face of the foreseeable containment of a market more pending on exchanges than on pharaonic investments. Griezmann awaits and trains. He does not think to discuss the effort, sources from his environment emphasize, from where they admit that the time for reflection will come.

In Barcelona's sports management they thought, first, that Griezmann would know how to adapt his game to the left wing. It did not work because French does not face, but tends to go to spaces that in this Barcelona do not exist. They also imagined that he could assume the functions of center forward whenever he had to reveal Luis Suárez. Nor is he appropriate for this, accustomed both to Atlético and to the French national team to be participatory. With players around him to play him . A function that corresponds to Messi at the Camp Nou.

The story of the former Atlético leader follows the trail of other investments made by the Bartomeu government, in which the hires prioritized propaganda over the team's real sports need. When Barcelona caught the 222 million euros for Neymar, the solution came with the additions of Coutinho and Dembélé. The first, on loan to Bayern, continues without knowing where he will play next year. The second has been on the stretcher for three seasons. Coutinho, Dembélé and Griezmann are the most expensive signings in the history of Barça: 405 million among the three . Football is like that.

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Know more

  • Quique Setién
  • Luis Suarez
  • Ousmane Dembélé
  • Neymar
  • France
  • Barcelona
  • Arturo vidal
  • Antoine Griezmann
  • Ansu Fati
  • sports

LaLiga Santander 2019 - 2020Barcelona denies its demons

LaLiga Santander 2019 - 2020Ansu Fati conquers nothing

LaLigaLuis Suárez points to Quique Setién: "Let all this be analyzed by the coach"

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