The French forward is back at Atletico after a disastrous spell at Camp Nou.
Antoine Griezmann has sent an apology message to Atletico Madrid fans for his move to Barcelona in 2019.
A big-money transfer saw Griezmann end his initial five-year spell at Atletico. The Frenchman arrived at Camp Nou with high hopes, planning to fill the gap of Neymar’s exit.
However, Griezmann never managed to live up to expectations at Barca, with his high wages convincing Barca to look for a solution.
The Catalans finally offloaded the World Cup winner from their wage list, sending him back to Atletico on a two-year loan deal.
The contract included a playing-time-dependent option to buy. However, Atletico limited the forward’s game time to force Barca back to the negotiating table.
The two clubs finally reached an agreement for a €20m move, about half of the fee that was initially agreed.
Griezmann went on to score his 100th goal for Atletico in their 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. Speaking after the game, the Frenchman opened up on his unsuccessful move to Barca.
“I am very proud that I was able to sign [return to Atletico] and be able to play my part,” he said.
“At the end of the day, I apologise. I know people want to hear it from me: I apologise for the hurt I may have caused people. But the biggest forgiveness I ask for is on the pitch, giving my all for the team on nights like this. We are on the right track.”
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