Lionel Messi shot down the insinuations he is the source of problems plaguing Barcelona now. The team captain is getting the blame for Barca's ills, including the claims of Antoine Griezmann's camp that the Frenchman continues to struggle at Camp Nou because of Messi.
Messi dismissed the allegations he is giving some of his teammates a hard time. In recent reports, Griezmann's uncle, identified as Emmanuel Lopes, accused the Argentine superstar of causing problems for the French forward.
Griezmann jumped from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona in 2019 but has largely struggled to make his expected impact with the Catalans. And questions have been raised on whether the £108 million transfer fee paid for the World Cup winner was worth the price.
However, Lopes claimed Griezmann was not to blame entirely for the shortfall. He insisted that his nephew remains out of place in Barcelona because the Spanish giants favor Messi.
"Antoine needs to work, even though others don't need as much effort to play well. He's the other way around - he needs to put in a lot of effort for himself," said Griezmann's uncle, and per the report by Sport Bible.
According to Lopes, the training structure at Barcelona does not require Messi to work hard but it's not the case with other players. Yet the irony is while his teammates are bleeding hard, the star of the Barcelona show remains to be Messi.
When Griezmann joined up with the Catalans last year, he expected that the period of adjustments will last a maximum of six months but a season went and the 29-year-old seemed unable to play in top form at a consistent pace. On this, the fault rests on Messi, that is if Lopes is to be believed.
The criticism from the Griezmann relative came following the recent statement from Eric Olhats, a former agent of the Barcelona star, that Messi is blocking the possibility of Griezmann finding the same form that made him a star at Atletico.
Essentially, the two are saying that Messi is the reason for Griezmann's woes since switching sides in the summer of 2019. However, the Argentine is quick to brush aside the suggestions he is causing problems for his side.
"I'm tired of always being everyone's problem at the club," was Messi's abrupt response when asked by reporters on the matter.
It should be noted, however, that the skipper gave an answer following a 15-hour flight and after encountering issues with a tax inspector. Goal said Messi was clearly stressed out, and not to mention that Barcelona appeared struggling in La Liga with the team's points insufficient for a place in the league's Top 4.
