Top 5 controversial transfers of the decade

Modified Dec 07, 2019 13:04 GMT

2. Antoine Griezmann: Atletico Madrid to FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona v Borussia Dortmund: Group F - UEFA Champions League

Antoine Griezmann left Atletico Madrid to join FC Barcelona in 2019 for a staggering fee of €120 million. The Frenchman was linked with a move to the Catalans in 2018 as well. But he ended up staying in Madrid after announcing his decision through a documentary named 'La Decision'.

Rojiblancos offered a new contract and captaincy to their star striker in a bid to fend off interest from Barca. But the player eventually decided to quit the club and join Barca.

Even this year, his transfer ended up in controversy as Atletico accused Barca of approaching the player unlawfully. The Madrid based club alleged that Griezmann signed a pre-contract agreement to move to Camp Nou back in March without the knowledge of officials at Atletico.

Barcelona was dragged to the court over the matter and were found guilty of approaching the player without the knowledge Diego Simeone or the club officials.

Also Read: Antoine Griezmann requests Barcelona fans to keep faith in him

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Samyak is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who focuses on writing a variety of listicles. A post-graduate in Finance with over 6 years of total work experience, Samyak became interested in football after watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup and some high-octane El Clasico clashes. His favorite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo for the forward's mentality, and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola for the brand of football their teams showcase.

Samyak only follows top tier and verified fan club social media accounts for sourcing information for his articles. One of his core strengths is crafting crisp and concise articles to avoid any and all potential confusion for readers. These shrewd methods have helped him attain strong readership on his articles, one of them even being read half a million times!

Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in the 2006 final is Samyak’s favorite World Cup moment owing to the Frenchman’s sheer nerves of steel showcased, and thinks Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are ready to usher in a new era post-Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During his free time, Samyak follows Real Madrid, plays football and reads finance articles.

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Edited by Sai Teja