Antoine Griezmann comes off the bench AGAIN in Atletico Madrid’s draw at Real Sociedad after Diego Simeone hinted he is under orders to limit striker’s game time so club don’t have to pay Barcelona £35m to make his loan permanent
- Atletico Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Sociedad on Saturday night
- Striker Antoine Griezmann came off the bench with 27 minutes remaining
- It’s the Frenchman’s fourth substitute appearance in four league games so far
- Latest cameo came after Diego Simeone admitted he was following club orders
- Atletico will have to pay Barcelona £35m if Griezmann plays enough matches
Antoine Griezmann made yet another substitute appearance in Atletico Madrid’s draw at Real Sociedad on Saturday night – after Diego Simeone suggested he is following club orders to limit his game time.
The French striker was a 63rd-minute replacement for Rodrigo de Paul in the LaLIga encounter, the fourth time he has been brought off the bench in four matches this season.
It came after Simeone strongly hinted he has received instructions from the Atletico hierarchy not to start on-loan Griezmann so as not to trigger a clause that obliges them to pay Barcelona £35million.
Antoine Griezmann found himself among the Atletico Madrid substitutes once again
The French striker came on during the second-half as Atletico drew 1-1 at Real Sociedad
If Griezmann plays more than 45 minutes in 14 games this season then Atletico are bound by his contract to sign him permanently for that amount on a two-year deal.
Griezmann, 31, has come on for Atletico at minute 64, minute 62, minute 75 and now minute 63 in Atletico’s four league games so far.
On Friday, Simeone was asked why the striker was being used so sparingly and replied: ‘You have known me for ten years now; I am a man of the club and I always will be.’
Diego Simeone hinted on Friday that he was under orders not to start Griezmann too often
Atletico will owe Barcelona £35m if he plays a certain amount of minutes as per the agreement
The answer was him all but admitting he is under orders to limit the Frenchman’s minutes to avoid triggering the clause.
Atletico led at the Anoeta thanks to Alvaro Morata’s fifth-minute goal only for Umar Sadiq to equalise for Sociedad on his debut after signing from Almeria on Thursday.
Morata was denied a second goal following a lengthy VAR review that decided Joao Felix handled in the build-up.
Atletico have taken seven points from their opening quartet of fixtures and are already five behind leaders Real Madrid.
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