Antoine Griezmann has revealed that being a fundamental figure at Atletico Madrid was an influential factor in his decision to snub a move to Barcelona this past summer.
As seen in the tweet below, the French international made an announcement in June that he was remaining with Atleti having been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp, as noted by the Telegraph.
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Mi afición, mi equipo, MI CASA! @atleti ???
Mes supporters, mon équipe, MA MAISON ! @AtletiFR ???
My fans, my team, MY HOME!!! @atletienglish ??? pic.twitter.com/ByD8Cju5Yb
— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) June 14, 2018
It ended constant speculation over his future, with Barca going on to sign Malcom to bolster their own attacking options ahead of the new campaign having been forced to consider alternatives.
Griezmann has since gone on to help Diego Simeone’s side lift the UEFA Super Cup, although they’ve managed to collect just four points in their opening three La Liga games as they’ve already slipped off the pace set by leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid.
However, Simeone will have his talisman to continue to call upon moving forward after snubbing that option to join Barcelona, and Griezmann has now explained in detail as to why he opted to stay at the Wanda Metropolitano and reject an opportunity to join the Catalan giants.
“It’s like when you get love at home. You’re not going to go anywhere else,” he told L’Equipe, as reported by Sky Sports. “At the club, they’ve done everything to make me feel good, including efforts to sign important players and create a great team.
“I feel like the base, or the most important piece of the puzzle. That’s what made me stay. It’s hard to say no to clubs like Barca but, really, I’m fine here. It’s my home and I want to do something great.”
It’s a fair explanation in truth, as the 27-year-old will remain a figurehead for Atleti as opposed to merely being one important piece of many at Barca with Lionel Messi undoubtedly remaining the star of the show.
Whether or not it turns out to be the most sensible choice in terms of adding to his trophy collection remains to be seen, but having now been with Atleti since 2014 while scoring 113 goals in 212 games, Griezmann is certainly on the path towards becoming a club legend and that was an overriding factor in his decision this past summer it seems.