'It's going to be strange to play in empty stadiums,' says Barcelona's Griezmann ahead of LaLiga restart

Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann expressed his thoughts on the prospect of playing in empty stadiums. LaLiga Santander is set to restart in less than a fortnight, and it has been confirmed that games are set to be played behind closed doors.

Griezmann had a candid chat with Spanish basketball players Nikola Mirotić and Álex Abrines on streaming platform Twitch. During this chat, the Frenchman spoke about several other topics as well, including the responsibilities of fatherhood, his love for basketball, and more.

The players discussed how 'strange' it is to be playing games in empty stadiums. Speaking on the prospect of doing so, the Barcelona attacker said,

"It is going to be very rare. I saw that in Germany they put photos. It is very strange, you hear everything in the field."

He continued,

"We have eleven LaLiga games left and then the Champions League, but they still don't know how to do it (playing in empty stadiums). In LaLiga we play more than one game per week."

The World-Cup winner went on to talk about how he's spent his time during the lockdown. He revealed that this is the first instance in a while where he got to spend some quality time with his family. The Barcelona star commented,

"It is the first time that I have so much rest because between the World Cup and the European Championship, have never had so much time at home. I have been able to play, be with the children. But I really needed to train with a ball. During confinement I have taken care of food and fitness, but running on a treadmill I have not done much."

A difficult start to life at Barcelona

The former Atletico Madrid star has had a difficult start to life at the Nou Camp. He has managed just eight goals and four assists in his 26 LaLiga appearances. In terms of output, Griezmann has arguably had one of his worst seasons over the last few years.

The Frenchman was brought in as attacking reinforcements by Barcelona, but there are a few jarring stylistic differences between both parties. Griezmann has resorted to a wider berth to accommodate Luis Suárez and club legend Lionel Messi. The French star's best performances have come playing through the middle and in tandem with Messi or Suárez.

There have been reports that Griezmann could be included in a potential deal for Neymar. However, these have been followed up by claims that Griezmann intends to stay at the Nou Camp. This makes the Barcelona attacker's future uncertain as the club are also reportedly keen on Inter Milan's Lautaro Martínez.

The Argentine has impressed Barcelona skipper Messi after having shared the international stage together. Considered to be one of the leading young talents of the next generation of upcoming footballers, Lautaro seen as a long-term replacement for Suárez. The Uruguayan turns 34 next Jan and has faced significant injury issues.

A move for Lautaro could see Griezmann playing wide more often, a position where the Barcelona star is not as adept.