‘Messi Told Me He Was Screwed When I Rejected Barcelona’ — Griezmann

Barcelona and France striker, Antoine Griezmann has revealed that his initial decision to reject a transfer to Barcelona in 2018 angered superstar footballer, Lionel Messi.

Despite recent controversies painting a negative relationship between Messi and Griezmann, Messi spoke positively about Griezmann joining the club in 2018, and the Frenchman has admitted the pair had a long conversation when he eventually joined the club.

“When I signed for the club I asked for forgiveness for delaying the move and saying I wouldn’t join Barcelona,” Griezmann told Jorge Valdano on the latest edition of Universo Valdano. “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’s former agent Eric Olhats and uncle Emmanuel Lopes have caused controversy by saying Griezmann has a negative relationship with Messi but the striker says he has no relationship with both men .

“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.”

Barcelona are struggling in La Liga, where they sit in 13th in the table – 12 points behind leaders Real Sociedad, albeit with two games in hand.