Messi Was 'Screwed' When I Didn’t Join Barcelona, Reveals World Cup Winner

FC Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has revealed that it upset Lionel Messi when the former Atletico Madrid chose not to join the Camp Nou side in 2018.

Griezmann, who won the FIFA World Cup with France two years ago, was linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer of 2018. However, the Frenchman instead chose to pen a new contract with Atletico Madrid and not move to Catalunya. Barcelona skipper Messi had spoken positively about Griezmann’s Barcelona links around the same time to only be left disappointed when Griezmann rejected the Catalans.

In a conversation with Jorge Valdano on the latest edition of Universo Valdano, 29-year-old Griezmann – who eventually joined Barcelona in 2019 – revealed that he had a long chat with Messi, while he also apologized to the club for rejecting a move the previous year.

"When I signed for the club, I asked for forgiveness for delaying the move and saying I wouldn’t join Barcelona. I told Lionel Messi that I would give everything on the pitch for the club. I spoke with Leo when I arrived and he told me that when I turned down the first chance to go, he was screwed because he had asked for it publicly, but he told me he was with me and I notice it every day,” Griezmann said.

Griezmann, who netted 133 goals in 257 competitive appearances for Atletico, has not been able to replicate the same success at Barcelona. In addition to that, his former agent Eric Olhats and uncle Emmanuel Lopes have caused more controversy by saying Griezmann has a poor relationship with his captain Messi.

Denying the allegations, in the same interview, Griezmann added, "He (Olhats) was very important in my life, but I don’t have a relationship with him anymore,” Griezmann said.

“I stopped having any relationship with him since the day I got married. I invited him to the wedding day, and he didn’t come. That’s why I stopped having a relationship with him. My uncle doesn’t know how football works. And in the end, the journalist ended up getting the statement out of him. I told Leo that I never speak to them, in fact, I don’t even have my uncle’s phone number. My parents don’t talk to Eric either, so who is going to talk to him? He can do a lot of damage, and create problems in the dressing room,” he added.

The Frenchman has managed only two goals in 10 matches across tournaments in the 2020-21 campaign for Barcelona.