Atletico Madrid News
Barcelona president confirms the fee Atletico Madrid will pay for Griezmann: “Good deal”
Antoine Griezmann has been in the headlines recently, with various reports across Spain suggesting that the Frenchman is set to make his transfer to Atletico Madrid permanent..
The club from the capital are expected to pay a fee of around €20 million, which is half of what they had initially agreed with Barcelona. But there is also an additional €4 million add-ons embedded in the deal.
Although the clubs are yet to officially announce the deal, their board members, along with Xavi have confirmed the agreement recently.
Xavi has already wished Griezmann luck in his future endeavours while sporting director Mateu Alemany stressed the importance of the Frenchman’s departure from Camp Nou.
Barcelona club president Joan Laporta has now joined the bandwagon, hailing the club for conducting good business by selling Griezmann. The president also has confirmed the exact figures of the deal.
“Griezmann is a good deal. €20 milllion fixed and €4 million in add-ons,” said Laporta, who has played a key role in reversing all the underwhelming investments made by the previous regime led by Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Griezmann’s sale comes in the aftermath of a brief battle between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid after the latter opted to limit the player’s game-time in order to avoid paying the €40 million mandatory buyout clause at the end of the season.
The only condition behind the clause stated that Griezmann had to play at least 45 minutes of the 50% of matches where he is available.
Barcelona tried to seek legal measures to sanction Atletico Madrid, but have opted to come to an agreement on a lower fee, which may still benefit the club, according to the sporting director Mateu Alemany.
Griezmann’s permanent move to the Civitas Metropolitano could break the shackles and allow Diego Simeone to utilise his services on a more frequent basis. With a strenuous schedule coming up, the Frenchman’s experience and quality could play an integral role in the club’s fate over the coming weeks.
Source: BarçaTV+
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid midfielder on the derby against Real Madrid: “Very difficult to beat them”
Following a 1-1 draw in their Champions League opener against Lazio, Atletico Madrid will shift all their attention to La Liga, as they brace themselves for the derby against Real Madrid this weekend.
Heading into this game, Atleti midfielder Marcos Llorente spoke about Real Madrid’s quality and Atletico Madrid’s chances of squeezing all three points from this iconic derby.
Llorente on Madrid derby
“The sensations are good. The team is very good, the other day we played a great game despite ending up drawing. I really think that the team did a great job that must be maintained for this match,” Llorente said in an interview with Diario AS.
When asked whether or not Real Madrid being tagged as favourites could aid Atleti, the midfielder said, “Honestly, it neither motivates me nor demotivates me. We simply have to do what we work on during the week, what the coach asks of us.”
Llorente stressed the importance of the game, adding, “It is a great rival we have in front of us, they are having a very good start to the season and that motivates me and everyone to try to play a good game.”
“Real Madrid is a great club, they have great players and it is very difficult to beat them. I think we have competed, we have also achieved several draws, but in the end, either you go out one hundred percent and do things very, very well or it is difficult to beat them,” he added.
A former member of the Real Madrid youth academy, Llorente joined Atletico Madrid in 2019. Since then, he has racked up over 150 competitive appearances for Los Colchoneros.
Llorente, though, said he feels no sense of vindication when he performs well against his former team.
“No. In the end, it’s been many years since I left there and I’m at Atlético. Perhaps in the first years, those types of feelings and sensations can arise, but today they no longer do,” he said.
Llorente on Vinicius, Koke & Bellingham
The Atletico Madrid star went on to talk about other aspects of the game, including the fact that his team had one less player every time they faced Real Madrid last season.
“I have zero worries. These are things that are not in our remit, that escape our hands. We play football, the referees referee and those who have to decide decide,” he said.
Llorente, in fact, said that the return of Koke could be a real boost for Atleti. “It is always good that Koke is with us, both on the field and in the day-to-day life of the game,” he said.
“Beyond the grass. The support he gives, the advice he gives us, his experience. it is always important to have him and it is great news that he is already training with us,” he added.
Talking about the absence of Vinicius Junior and the form of Jude Bellingham, Llorente said, “Well, you have to be careful with everyone. All Real Madrid players are very good and can make a difference at any moment of the game. Bellingham is having a great start and we have to take that into account and be very focused.”
Finally, Marcos Llorente put out a message for all the Atletico Madrid fans, claiming their support ahead of this crucial encounter this weekend.
“It will be a full house as always. We don’t have to tell them anything, they know the importance of this match for Atlético, we know that they never fail, they are always supporting us and we count on them,” he said.
