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Antoine Griezmann’s dad has ripped Barcelona manager Quique Setien after the $135 million signing was left on the bench until the final minutes of Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
The France international’s father, Alain Griezmann, posted a message on Instagram in response to an article featuring Setien’s quotes about why he waited until the 90th minute to bring on the 29-year-old.
Griezmann Sr. wrote: “To have this type of conversation you need to have the keys to the truck and this is not the case, he is only a passenger.” The post was subsequently deleted, according to Angel Perez at Mundo Deportivo.
Barcelona drew the game 2-2 at the Camp Nou. Griezmann played the final few minutes of the game after replacing Arturo Vidal. The Frenchman has now been left out of the starting XI for three of the club’s last four games.
Setien Explains Griezmann Decision
Setien spoke about his decision to leave Griezmann out of his team after the match and insisted he would not be apologizing to the 29-year-old, according to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens at ESPN.
“The problem is not everyone can play. We have to make decisions. Maybe it wasn’t logical to bring him on [that late], but it was worse to not do so.
“A player like him can always do something. We didn’t bring him on before because the team was doing well, Riqui was doing well, we always try to have Suarez and Messi on the pitch. It is difficult to find a place without destabilizing the team.”
“I don’t agree with that I have no confidence in him. He’s an important player, but I understand it’s tough for him to come on with so little time left.”
Griezmann had been a regular in the team until the season was paused for three months because of coronavirus but appears to now be falling out of favor under Setien. It’s worth noting he’s also on a poor run of goalscoring form with just one goal in his last 10 appearances in all competitions.
Griezmann’s Brother Joins In
Setien’s decision to leave Griezmann on the sidelines until late also did not go down well with the forward’s brother, according to Marca.
Theo Griezmann also made his feelings clear on social media during the game: “Two minutes…” he tweeted. “I want to cry, seriously.” He also swiftly deleted his tweets.
Setien only took over at Barcelona in January but is already coming under pressure after a difficult few months. The club look unlikely to retain their league title, and there has been speculation he could depart in the summer.
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