Advice to Griezmann: "stay at Atletico to make history"
Martin Lasarte, the coach that gave Griezmann his debut at Real Sociedad, has warned: "It's better to be the main figure in one team than the just an assistant in another."
As Antoine Griezmann decides on his future, advice has come from many corners in the past few days, with Atletico Madrid legend Paulo Futre being one of the first to warn him against a move to Camp Nou.
History at Atletico or another number at Barcelona?
In an interview with AS, Futre warned him that: "At Altetico he can go down in history, at Barcelona he will only be one more."
Since then, those that have offered their advice have followed a similar line. And not only
those tied to the fortunes of the the Madrid club, like Futre and Atletico director Miguel Ángel
Gil Marín. Martin Lasarte, his former coach at Real Sociedad who gave him his debut in La Liga, and former French international and Arsenal legend, Rober Pires, have also offered Griezmann similar advice: stay in Madrid to make history, or become just another number in Barcelona.
Futre
"I have this debate with myself and with my friends, who tell me: 'If you had gone to Barcelona,
Milan, Juve ... you would have won the Balon D'Or.' I answer: 'But maybe there I would have
been one more, and wouldn't been remembered." Griezmann would say that to himself. If he goes to Barcelona, very well, he is a professional, but he will only be one more. If he stays at Atleti he will be remembered forever," Futre said in the AS interview.
Miguel Ángel Gil
"It will depend on his feelings more than anything else, it is whatever he wants to decide, if
he wants to make history at Atlético Madrid, where everything revolves around him, or go to a club where he will never enter history," said the Atlético Madrid director in an interview with Spanish radio after the Europa League Win in Lyon.
Martín Lasarte
"I would try to listen to him, but sometimes it's better to be the main figure in one team than
the just an assistant in another," said the man that gave him his La Liga debut last night on Spanish radio. Lasarte also admitted that seeing Griezmann crying after being subjected to the whistles of Atletico fans at Eibar greatly saddened him, and recalled giving Luis Suarez his international debut with Uruguay.
Robert Pires
The former Arsenal and Villareal star has been the latest to give similar advice. "If he will stay at Atletico Madrid, he will be number one. If he goes to Barcelona, he is maybe number three or number four because you have Suarez and Messi," Pires told The Mirror football podcast. "If he wants to take a risk, to take a new challenge, he can go to Barcelona. But it is not the same team, not the same level."
For Pires, "the next decision for Antoine Griezmann is very important. And of course, it also
depends on the World Cup.”
"The balance is very difficult for him. It is very important for Antoine to make a very good
decision. It is very difficult. On one side is Atletico Madrid, more comfortable, or Barcelona,
more competitive," he added.
