Griezmann must adapt to a Barcelona where everything revolves around Messi - Kodro
Antoine Griezmann's former coach has given his insight into why he believes the Frenchman has struggled to adapt to playing alongside Messi at Barcelona.
Former Real Sociedad and Barcelona player Meho Kodro, who coached Antoine Griezmann at youth level at Real Sociedad, has given his take on the French forward's poor first season at Barcelona.
Having shone at Atlético Madrid, Griezmann has so far struggled to adapt at Barcelona and many have questioned his suitability to the Camp Nou project, where everything is built around captain and talisman Lionel Messi.
“I was sincerely expecting a little more from him. I think he is a player who can give more and at Atlético Madrid, I don't know why but he was giving a bit more,” Kodro stated on Spanish radio station Cadena SER this Thursday.
“Barcelona is always complicated, their way of playing is different and I imagine that he is still in that phase of adaptation. He is not doing everything bad, but, from knowing him, he can give more."
Griezmann needs freedom of movement
Kodro believes Griezmann's slow adaption may be down to the fact that his freedom of movement is now more limited at Barcelona than it was when he played at Atlético and Sociedad, which is a consequence of playing in a team with the Argentine superstar.
"He can play on the outside and or the inside; he is a player who needs to have a lot of freedom in his game. At both Real and Atlético he had a lot of freedom of movement,” said Modro.
“I see it from the outside and it is very easy to have an opinion but when you have Messi next to you: everything revolves around Messi and you have to adapt to that situation. I imagine he will have all the freedom of movement but having Messi there is, in itself, going to determine things.”