Atletico CEO Gil Marin: Griezmann can become a great here or be forgotten elsewhere

Sacha Pisani

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Atletico CEO Gil Marin: Griezmann can become a great here or be forgotten elsewhere image

Antoine Griezmann must decide whether he wants to make history at Atletico Madrid or join a club where he will never do so, according to chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin.

Linked with an off-season move to La Liga champions Barcelona, Griezmann was the hero for Atletico on Wednesday as his brace secured a 3-0 win over Marseille and the Europa League trophy .

It may have been Griezmann's parting gift amid Barca's interest in the France international forward, who opted to remain in Madrid for the 2017-18 season despite Manchester United's efforts to lure the 27-year-old to the Premier League.

Asked about man-of-the-match Griezmann following Atletico's third Europa League triumph, Gil Marin told Cadena SER : "It will depend on his feelings more than anything else.

"If he wants to make history at Atletico Madrid where everything revolves around him or go to a club where he will never enter history."

Contracted to Atletico until 2022, Griezmann – who has won two trophies since arriving from Real Sociedad in 2014 – was in no mood to discuss his future after the clash in Lyon .

Gil Marin, however, added: "If he decides that he does not want to continue with us, we have to respect his decision.

"I am not optimistic or pessimistic. I do not know what will happen, it is not a decision for him to say after the final."

Gil Marin also hit out at Spanish rivals Barca once again amid their public pursuit of Griezmann .

Atletico have already slammed Barca for "an absolute lack of respect" in their attempts to prise Griezmann to Camp Nou after Luis Suarez suggested a deal to sign the Frenchman was a formality.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu also claimed he met with Griezmann's representatives last October.

"It does not make sense what they are doing," Gil Marin said. "After the statement, Bartomeu has not answered me."

Sacha Pisani