Antoine Griezmann had entertained thoughts of leaving Barcelona following a difficult season at Camp Nou. But the arrival of Ronald Koeman gave hope to the Frenchman that the next season would be better, thanks to the promise made by the new coach that Griezmann will wear the shirt No. 7 in upcoming campaigns.
The attacker's first season with Barca has been characterized as unimpressive by the standard of the Catalan giants. He scored 15 goals in the last term in 48 games but his efforts were deemed insufficient considering the £107 million paid for his acquisition.
Yet for Koeman, Griezmann's struggles were not due to sub-par quality. The new boss is convinced the former Atletico Madrid will excel in playing his natural position. Koeman acknowledged that his predecessors played Griezmann as a winger, and it was a huge mistake.
According to Sport Bible, the Barca manager made a commitment to Griezmann that he will play center going forward. And as proof of the coach's confidence, the 29-year-old will be assigned shirt No. 7 in future matches.
The decision is seen to correct the mistakes by past managers Quique Setien and Ernesto Valverde. They deployed Griezmann on the wing as an adjustment for Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Koeman does not intend to make the same error.
The former Netherlands boss said footballers must on their position for optimal results and in Griezmann's case, he will play centrally under the Koeman game plan.
"You have to play in your role. This is where the most important part of a coach comes in, knowing your players well and getting the most out of them," the Barcelona boss was reported as saying.
This boost from Koeman made Griezmann changed his mind. According to the star's former agent, Eric Olhats, the forward was already considering an exit from the Catalans even before the 8-2 mauling suffered by in the Champions League quarterfinal match against Bayern Munich.
The player was grappling with the thoughts that he is not part of Barcelona's future and that he had to get out of the club, said the agent.
"He was seriously studying how to leave. Then what we know happened and a conversation with Koeman reassured him. [Koeman] expressed his plans, because he considers him an important player for the future," Goal reported Olhats as saying.
Shortly after assuming his post, Koeman announced that he is implementing a revamp of the Barca squad. There will be big movements and players will be shown the door. But there will be untouchables, roster members to stay with the club, and Koeman identified Griezmann as one of them.
