Atletico Madrid to open legal proceedings regarding Griezmann's Barcelona move

The World Cup winner finally got the move he desired, but the drama surrounding the transfer continues to roll on

Posted Saturday, July 13, 2019 by Goal.com

Atletico Madrid have released an official statement outlining their intention to open legal proceedings regarding Antoine Griezmann's move to Barcelona.

The French forward signed for the Blaugrana on Friday, July 12, with the Catalan side having paid the striker's €120 million release clause.

Atleti, however, have taken issue despite said clause being met in full, pointing to negotiations - and an agreement - between the player and Barca taking place when Griezmann's buyout clause was still set at €200m.

Posted on their official website, the statement reads:

"Antoine Griezmann, represented by his lawyer, appeared at the headquarters of Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) to terminate the contract that bound the player to Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona having deposited the amount of €120 million on behalf of the player.

"Atletico Madrid believes that the amount deposited to meet the termination clause is insufficient, since it is obvious that the agreement between the player and Barcelona was reached before the aforementioned clause was reduced from 200 to 120 million euros.

"It was also prior to the date on which the clause was modified that the player announced that he would be leaving the club (May 14).

"Atletico Madrid believes that the termination of the contract occurred before the end of last season due to events, acts and demonstrations carried out by the player and that is why we have already started the procedures we consider appropriate for the legitimate defence of our rights and interests."

In keeping with the nature of the transfer, which has played out over the past two years, this latest twist is one of a number of developments that have turned Griezmann’s move to Catalunya into a full-blown saga.

Atleti recently hit out at both Barcelona and the player himself, questioning their conduct after it was revealed that the two parties had been in negotiations and reached an agreement while Diego Simeone's side were still fighting for La Liga and the Champions League.

Atletico claim they were only informed by Griezmann that he wanted to leave at the end of the season in May – a move that further frustrated the Spanish capital side.

The player had also delayed making public his intention to stay in a televised announcement the season before.