Lionel Messi on Griezmann’s uncle.
Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi has hit back at Antoine Griezmann’s uncle after he accused him of being selfish and not doing enough for the club.
Emmanuel Lopes, who is the uncle of Griezmann, had launched a scathing attack on Messi, in defense of his nephew after criticisms were leveled at him for his underperformance at Camp Nou.
”[Griezmann] was convinced that he wasn’t going to be successful within the first six months, but what I didn’t expect was that it would last an entire year,”
Besides, with Messi, I know what’s going on inside [the club] – it’s not easy.
“Basically, [Messi] doesn’t work hard enough at Barca and the training sessions are structured in order to please certain people, which is fine if you don’t want to work [as hard].”
Antoine Griezmann has struggled at Barcelona
This echoed the sentiments by Griezmann’s former agent Eric Olhats who described the Argentine’s behavior to his former client as ‘deplorable.’
”Messi has power over everything. He is both the emperor and the king, and he did not like the arrival of Antoine. His attitude was deplorable, he made him (Griezmann) feel it. It is a regime of terror. Either you are with him or you are against him…”
”He is good on the pitch, but bad off of it. Last season, when Antoine arrived, Messi wouldn’t speak to him, wouldn’t give him the ball. He created real trauma during the adaptation period. That certainly left a mark.”
Antoine Griezmann completed a mega money move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019 when the Blaugrana triggered his release clause valued at €120m and it was expected that he will help the club rise to new heights.
However, that has not happened and the France international has struggled for form, while he also looks out of place in the Barcelona attack.
The 29-year-old scored just 15 goals from 41 appearances in all competitions in his debut season and he has not fared much better in the current campaign, with just two goals from nine matches.
Messi inspired Argentina to two wins
Lionel Messi – fresh from inspiring Argentina to consecutive victories to put them closer to securing qualification for the 2022 World Cup – was accosted by journalists for statements on the comments by Lopes.
The 33-year-old, however, gave a snappy answer that showed his irritation after a tax inspector had also sought documentation from him.
“I’m tired of always being everyone’s problem at the club,”
“I get here after a 15-hour flight and I find a tax agent here, it’s ridiculous.”
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner will be back in action for Barcelona when travel to take on Atletico Madrid in a bumper LaLiga fixture before hosting Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League thee days later.
