Atletico takes legal action against Barca

Atletico Madrid have announced that they will take legal action against the French and Spanish champions following the official transfer of striker Antoine Griezmann to FC Barcelona on Friday. The reason for this is Griezmann’s payment of the compensation in the form of an exit clause.

On 1 July, this had been reduced from 200 million euros to 120 million euros – the amount Griezmann had now deposited on behalf of Barca with the Spanish League Association LFP in order to move to Camp Nou. However, Atletico stated in a statement that the ‘old’ exit clause would actually be legal.

“Atletico believes that the amount deposited to pay the exit clause is insufficient,” says the statement by the Spanish runner-up, who states: “Since it is obvious that the player and Barcelona had already reached an agreement before the aforementioned clause was reduced from 200 million to 120 million euros.”

Furthermore, Griezmann’s announcement to Atletico that he would leave the club this summer had already been made in mid-May and thus also before 1 July. Therefore, ‘the appropriate measures’ have been taken to ‘legally defend its rights and interests’.

As Atletico announced a few days ago in another statement, Barca had already agreed with Griezmann on a transfer in March. The Colchoneros had also asked the 28-year-old to join coach Diego Simeone’s team in preparation last Sunday, but Griezmann refused and stayed away.

At Barca, the world champion has signed a five-year contract until 2024. His exit clause for the Blaugrana amounts to a whopping 800 million euros.