The French ace admitted that he faced some tough times when he had to make a decision about his future, but thanked Atlético's execs for keeping him around.

The main reason to see him join Barcelona was the main cause for Antoine Griezmann's final snub.

Speaking in an interview with Canal +'s show Canal Football Club, Griezmann shared insight on why he chose not to join Los Blaugranas last summer, despite being linked with a move to Catalunya for months.

In that conversation, Griezmann admitted that playing second fiddle behind Lionel Messi was not appealing to him, which is why he chose to stay put at Atlético Madrid.

"Subconsciously, I'm sure that playing for Messi had quite a lot to do with my decision," Griezmann stated.

Then, as the interview developed, Griezmann gave credit to his team-mates at Atlético Madrid and the team's execs, for doing everything in their power to keep him around.

"What the guys at Atlético did meant the world to me. They went to my home, they increased my salary and came up with an interesting project. They did whatever they could to show me that they wanted me to stay 'home,'" Griezmann added.

Griezmann also shared how a visit from Diego Simeone to his home caused him to stay put after being jeered by Atlético fans that hinted a possible departure to the Catalan giants.

"I know that I can help the club's growth as much as they can help me do so," the striker added.

Griezmann's words come days before the first game of the season between Los Colchoneros and Barcelona, which could become crucial to determine the team who ends at the top of La Liga before the winter mini-break.

 

Spieldetails, Ergebnis und ursprüngliche Sendungsinfo

Atlético Madrid 1 - 1 Barcelona

November 24, 2018 2:45Estadio Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid)

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