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Antoine Griezmann says his relationship with his Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi has not been damaged by comments made recently by his former adviser and uncle.
Eric Olhats, who stopped working with Griezmann more than three years ago, accused Messi of running a “regime of terror” in Barcelona two weeks ago. A few days later, Griezmann’s uncle said that “it is not easy” to play for the same club as Messi.
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Those comments led Messi to say that he is “tired of being the root of all the problems at this club” and catapulted his relationship with Griezmann into the spotlight.
“It is time to put things in their place because I have been putting up with comments for a long time and now is the time to say enough,” Griezmann said in an interview with Movistar on Monday.
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“I haven’t had a relationship with Eric since I got married. They invited him to the wedding, but he didn’t come. I got mad and haven’t seen him since.
“My agent is my sister, but she doesn’t speak. Neither do my parents. So since no one speaks, [Eric] answer the call and offer an opinion, as anyone can. That can do a lot of damage, it can create doubts in the dressing room and about my relationship with Leo.
“Leo knows that I have a lot of respect and admiration for him. I learn from him. But it hurts too much.
“And then my uncle, he doesn’t know how football works. A journalist comes and wants a phrase from you. You talk for an hour and you are careful what you say, then it seems like your friend but, in the end, they just want to get a headline out of you.
“I told Leo that I have nothing to do with them. I don’t talk to them. I haven’t talked to Eric in three years and I don’t even have my uncle on WhatsApp.”
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Griezmann, 29, came to Barça from Atlético de Madrid in 2019 for 120 million euros and regretted that his time at the Camp Nou was full of criticism and negative stories.
His signing 18 months ago came a year after he turned down the opportunity to move to Barca in a documentary called The Decision, an imitation of LeBron James’s 2010 announcement that he would sign with the Miami Heat.
Griezmann’s decision came after Messi publicly endorsed his signing and the French forward explained that his now teammate was upset by his rejection.
“I spoke with Leo after I arrived and he told me that when I turned down the opportunity to come the first time, it bothered him, because he had made public comments,” Griezmann said.
“But since I’ve been part of the team, I’ve been a teammate with him, he’s always said he’s with me until the end and I notice and feel it every day.”
Griezmann, who added that having to play under three coaches since joining Barca has made it difficult to adjust, said he hopes his decision to speak will alienate him from the crowd.
“Barcelona supported me by bringing me here and I want to restore that confidence by helping the team win,” he said. “No problem with anyone, I just ask that you leave me alone!”
Source: espn.co.uk
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