It seems that the good relationship between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will come to an end with Antoine Griezmann right in the middle of the tug of war.
The French star has been used as a substitute by Atlético all season long to prevent him from reaching a certain number of minutes that would force Los Rojiblancos to pay over $40M for the player's permanent transfer. Seeing this as a mockery of their initial deal, reports coming in from Spain hint that Los Culés will file a lawsuit against Atlético that would force the Madrid-based team to acquire the player regardless of any terms they had agreed on when the loan deal between these clubs was signed.
The initial deal between these clubs required Atlético to buy the player if he played over 50% of the minutes in which he was available to do so. The interpretation of this rule by both clubs is the main cause for controversy, as Atlético felt they could escape that clause if Griezmann only played less than 30 minutes per game this season. On the other hand, Barcelona feel that the player's involvement in 80% of last season's minutes would be enough for Atlético to pay for his clause, rather than waiting for the deal to be over.
Atlético's coach Diego Simeone has spoken about his decision regarding Griezmann's involvement in each game for 30 minutes since he is "a team player" rather than having anything to do with their refusal to hire the footballer. Be that as it may, it seems that Barcelona are ready to go all the way with their intention to collect those $40M from Los Colchoneros, which is why they will have this issue settled by Spanish authorities.
This legal process is just getting started for both clubs, but what will be really interesting will be to see how Simeone and Co. handle Griezmann's time on the pitch, since Barcelona officers have taken this as the major sign of disrespect by Los Colchoneros in a shocking attempt to escape this clause.
