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There’s no doubt that Antoine Griezmann is having a tough time at Barcelona, but he has been sent a message of support by team-mate Luis Suarez.
Griezmann posted a picture of himself in Barcelona training on Thursday which drew a supportive response from Suarez: “Always positive and looking forward.”
Luis Suárez apoya a Griezmann en Instagram: “Siempre positivo y mirando hacia adelante”
The World Cup winner’s future at the club has come under scrutiny after he was only a stoppage-time substitute against former club Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Manager Quique Setien’s decision to bring Griezmann on so late in such a crucial game drew criticism from the striker’s father. Alain Griezmann described the coach as a “passenger” at Barcelona in a post on social media.
Meanwhile, Atletico boss Diego Simeone said after the game he had “no words” to describe Setien’s decision to leave him on the sidelines for so long.
Rivaldo Criticizes Setien for Griezmann Decision
Griezmann’s arrival so late in the game has also drawn criticism from former Barcelona star Rivaldo. He wrote in his column for Betfair that the late substitution shows all is not well at Barcelona.
“If you want to change anything you can’t wait for the end of the game and expect that Antoine Griezmann will solve anything by coming on in the 90th minute.
“I can’t understand why a world champion for France, former Atletico Madrid star for years and multi-million euro signing from Barcelona can only come on in the final minutes of such an important game as the one against Atleti.
“That shows me that something is not good in the team, because if you don’t put Griezmann in a game of such importance you are assuming that he is not at his best and might have been a bad signing. It’s a bit concerning, the situation at Barcelona right now, and they could end up losing La Liga.”
Barcelona’s result against Atletico looks like being costly in the race for title. The 2-2 draw means they missed the chance to leapfrog Real Madrid in the table and remain a point behind in second place.
Griezmann Facing Uncertain Future
Griezmann arrived at Barcelona in summer 2019 for $135 million but is struggling to find his place at the club. He is also on a poor run in front of goal and has only scored once in his last 10 La Liga games.
His lack of form has meant he’s started on the bench for three of Barcelona’s last four games which has fuelled speculation over his future. Yet he is keen to continue at the club, according to Yves Leroy at Le Parisien.
Griezmann has managed 14 goals and four assists in his first season at Barcelona, a decent return, but Barcelona would have expected more from a player who arrived for such a large fee.
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Luis Suarez Sends Message to Struggling Antoine Griezmann