"His departure has been important" - Ronald Koeman on Antoine Griezmann's Barcelona exit

Antoine Griezmann has left Barcelona to seal a return to Atletico Madrid this summer. Blaugrana boss Ronald Koeman remarked that the player's exit is a good one for the club, especially from a financial angle.

He explained:

"It is true, but you have to listen to the club and support it in some delicate moments on the subject of money."

NSFW: Ronald Koeman explains Antoine Griezmann's Barcelona departure 🤬 pic.twitter.com/mZ0XXlfWmO

— Goal News (@GoalNews) September 8, 2021

"Griezmann is a player at Barca with a very high contract and for the club, it has been very, very, very important to let him return to Atlético and not pay more for a three-year contract," he added.

"And you as a coach say you want to help the club, but you need another striker. Antoine's position is difficult for us to cover, but above all to help the club financially his departure has been important," signed off the Barcelona boss.

Antoine Griezmann is back. Here’s the French striker @ Wanda Metropolitano as new Atletico Madrid player. ⚪️🔴 #Atleti…it’s a loan plus buy option from Barcelona. Obligation to buy clause will be triggered in case he plays at least 50% matches with Atléti. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/LvedJE88q1

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 8, 2021

Antoine Griezmann joined Barcelona in a deal worth €120 million in the summer of 2019. However, the Frenchman failed to hit the ground running in the Catalan capital and was offloaded back to Atletico Madrid this summer.

During his two-year stint at the Camp Nou, the attacker made 102 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions, with a record 35 goals and 17 assists to his name. He also won the Copa del Rey title with Ronald Koeman's men last season.

The Frenchman enjoyed a fabulous spell during his first stint at Atletico Madrid

Antoine Griezmann with a fresh start at Atletico Madrid

Antoine Griezmann has returned to Atletico Madrid on a two-year loan deal, with the option of making it permanent for €40 million if certain conditions are met. He's been well received by Rojiblancos fans who insisted he should cut his hair to signify a fresh start to life at the Wanda Metropolitano.

The Frenchman enjoyed a very successful time during his first spell at the club, bagging an impressive 133 goals and 50 assists in 257 games across all competitions. He also won the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super.

Antoine Griezmann will now be looking forward to helping the Spanish giants claim more trophies. He is expected to link up with Luis Suarez in the attack when he returns to La Liga this weekend.