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The internal rot at Barcelona had started to reek quite a while ago and both the club and the fans will be hoping for better days as we approach the January transfer window. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 24 November 2020.
Antoine Griezmann says Messi is with him and slams former agent
Antoine Griezmann's 'camp' had caused a lot worry among Barcelona supporters by continuously criticizing Messi for his attitude towards the Frenchman. However, now Griezmann has spoken out about it and put the issue to bed.
On his relationship with Messi, Griezmann said,
“I spoke with Leo when I arrived and he told me that when I turned down the first chance to go, he was screwed because he had asked for it publicly, but he told me he was with me and I notice it every day.“
On his former manager Eric Olhats and uncle Emmanuel Lopez whose comments had cause unrest, Griezmann said,
Olhats was very important in my life but I don’t have a relationship with him anymore. I stopped having any relationship with him since the day I got married. I invited him to the wedding day, and he didn’t come. That’s why I stopped having a relationship with him.
“My uncle doesn’t know how football works. And in the end, the journalist ended up getting the statement out of him. I told Leo that I never speak to them, in fact, I don’t even have my uncle’s phone number. My parents don’t talk to Eric either, so who is going to talk to him? He can do a lot of damage, and create problems in the dressing room.”
Victor Font hopeful of Messi staying and of bringing in Pep
Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font is daring to dream, one could say. He has, in an interview with BBC, talked in great length of his plans should he become the Barcelona president.
On what he needs to do to make Messi stay, Font said,
"We need to ensure he understands there is a project, a winning - a competitive project. For us, the association between Barca and Messi is a very strategic association. He's been at the club since he was 13 and we believe that this association needs to go even beyond the days that he's on the pitch (post retirement).
"We believe that this association has a lot of potential for the years to come and we are hopeful that if we present this to him and his team he will see this as a good opportunity."
Subsequently, he opened up on his plans to bring Pep Guardiola back to Barcelona as the manager.
"The project that we've been working on is one that will try to create, if we are honoured to be chosen, the right conditions for this top talent, that is very much linked to Barca, to return to their club at some point in time.
"And we know, that at some point, Pep will want to return, even if it's for personal reasons. Hopefully sooner rather than later we will be able to create those conditions and be able to count on Pep's talent for the good of the club."
Barcelona to move for Eric Garcia in January
On the back of Gerard Pique picking up an injury, Barcelona have decided to make a move Manchester City centre-back Eric Garcia, as per reports. It was widely reported that Barcelona were waiting to sign Garcia at the end of the season on a free deal.
However, now that Pique is sidelined, Barcelona are short at the back and Eric Garcia being an old La Masia product will fit right in if he returns. The shift in strategy is bad news for Memphis Depay though. The Catalans are now unlikely to look to sign Depay in January.
