Antoine Griezmann has yet to make a big impact at Camp Nou since his switch from Atletico Madrid and reportedly, the Frenchman continues to struggle because of Barcelona captain Lionel Messi. It was alleged that Messi did not welcome Griezmann's arrival in 2019 and the superstar made life difficult for his new teammate.
The claim was made by Eric Olhats, who served as an advisor to the France international, and according to him, the Argentine treated Griezmann deplorably. While Olhats conceded that the 29-year-old found it tougher to shine with the Catalans, it was Messi who is to blame for much of Griezmann's struggles.
The two players never made a connection and Olhats said the Barcelona superstar's actions in the last season limited the possibility of Griezmann proving he is worth the massive transfer fee, at £105 million, paid for by Barcelona.
"When Antoine arrived, Messi didn't talk to him, didn't pass him the ball. He created a real trauma for a more than negative adaptation," said Olhats and per the report by Goal.
The agent added that Barcelona created the problem by giving too much power to the six-time Ballon d'Or winner. The club's decision to sign Griezmann last year did not sit well with Messi and the Argentine decided not to be friendly with the French forward.
Sure enough, the World Cup winner found life at Camp Nou more challenging compared to Atletico. As a result, the star only scored 15 goals in his first season with Barca and while the club's new manager, Ronald Koeman, has committed to deploy Griezmann to his preferred position, the difficulty persists.
In the ongoing campaign, the Frenchman has only found the net twice and his struggles on the pitch were highlighted by the penalty he missed during the winning game against Real Betis. Griezmann's performance is getting attention for the wrong reasons and his uncertain future in Barcelona remains the subject of speculations.
Griezmann's spell at Barcelona can be best described as a roller coaster ride and his compatriot Bixente Lizarazu is calling on the star to consider seriously a move away from Camp Nou. Lizarazu is convinced that if his fellow French will not hit it off with Messi, then the chance is nil that he would see success with the Catalans.
"He does not find his place with Leo Messi. They don't play together. The solution is to leave," advised the former France international, and as reported by Mirror.
Lizarazu said he can see that there is no joy for Griezmann wearing the Barcelona shirt and that's due to the absence of support from his coach and teammates. And without those elements, the forward is doomed to fail, and he can avoid that by moving out.
