Antoine Griezmann has recently made headlines in Barcelona, owing to the treatment he is receiving from Atletico Madrid.
The Frenchman is on loan at Atletico Madrid until the end of the 2022/23 season. The capital club is required to sign the attacker for €40 million next year, but only if he appears in 50% of the available matches.
There is a contract loophole, though, because matches are only counted if Griezmann plays 45 minutes or more in a given game. Atletico Madrid has taken full advantage of this flaw, as they have yet to give him more than 30 minutes of action in any of the four league meetings so far.
In light of Atletico Madrid’s stance, Barcelona’s legal team has been conducting investigations into whether the Spanish giants are breaking the rules by effectively preventing Griezmann from receiving more game-time in order to avoid transfer fees.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid are not breaking the rules because the player himself agreed to such an arrangement when Atletico Madrid first agreed to the transaction with FC Barcelona.
Furthermore, Atleti are not violating any regulations, as established by the Spanish Workers’ Statute, because Griezmann is unable to demand game time from Atleti.
Every worker has the right, according to the Statute, to demand the equivalent activity agreed upon in the employment contract.
However, Griezmann’s action in this situation translates to his registration in the Atletico Madrid team, as well as the Social Security, remuneration, and contributions that the club provides to the player.
Los Rojiblancos are even in a position to not give Griezmann any game action this season because the law only compels him to train with his teammates and the rest of the group under normal work dynamics.
Therefore, Barcelona are powerless in their attempts to intervene in this matter and in fact, the Catalans are now facing a precarious situation where they may have to either lower their asking price for Griezmann or call the Frenchman back to Camp Nou.
