Diego Simeone admitted to Spanish reporters that he’s keeping his on-loan striker Antoine Griezmann on the bench for most of the games so that a clause in Grizi’s contract wouldn’t be triggered and Atletico wouldn’t be forced to pay $40 million to Barcelona.When Atletico brought back Griezmann on loan from Barca, conditions were arranged. If the Frenchman plays more than 45 minutes in 14 games this season, then Atletico would be bound by contract to buy him for a pre-set fee of $40 million. However, the red and whites from Madrid have decided that it’s too expensive for them. So, Simeone was forced to play the Frenchman for only 29 minutes in every game this season.🎙| Reporter: “There’s a lot of talk about Griezmann’s minutes on the pitch due to his contract situation, what is your response to this?”🎙| Diego Simeone: “I think that you’ve all known me as a coach for the last 10 years. I am a man of the club and I always will be.” pic.twitter.com/oK6pRUjqPE— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) September 2, 2022 Speaking ahead of Atletico’s Saturday match at Real Sociedad, El Cholo indirectly admitted to what everyone was assuming already.”You’ve known me for ten years now. I’m a man of the club, and I always will be.”In other words, Simeone put the club’s interests before the team’s. If the club is reluctant to pay up – then it’s the law to obey.Griezmann has two goals already but is yet to start a game, having come on for Atletico at minute 64, minute 62 and minute 75 in Atletico’s three matches. It remains to be seen if Atletico will persist with this policy after the closing of the transfer window. Maybe Atletico were pressuring the player and his parent club Barcelona to look for an alternative destination for him this summer by indicating that they were not planning to use him enough to trigger his buy clause.##NAJAVA_MECA_6615875##But the chances for that are slim. Griezmann will remain in limbo with the World Cup fast approaching. France coach Didier Deschamps might be forced to leave the former Real Sociedad man out in favour of a player getting more minutes at club level.It’s a sorry state of affairs for the man whose goal gave Atletico a 1-0 win at Valencia last weekend.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 4Friday 22.00: (1.79) Celta (3.60) Cadiz (5.60)Saturday 15.00: (2.24) Mallorca (3.15) Girona (3.90)17.15: (1.48) Real Madrid (4.80) Betis (7.75)19.30: (3.25) Sociedad (3.05) Atl.Madrid (2.63)22.00: (4.40) Sevilla (3.60) Barcelona (1.94)Sunday 15.00: (2.19) Osasuna (3.20) Rayo Vallecano (4.00)17.15: (1.63) Ath.Bilbao (3.90) Espanyol (6.75)19.30: (1.39) Villareal (4.90) Elche (9.50)22.00: (2.04) Valencia (3.30) Getafe (4.00)Monday 22.00: (2.50) Valladolid (3.20) Almeria (3.25)***odds are subject to change
