Koeman reminds Griezmann who is boss after complaints about Barcelona role

Ronald Koeman has insisted he does not have a problem with Antoine Griezmann, despite the Barcelona forward voicing concerns about his position.

Griezmann has been unhappy with his role at Barcelona since Koeman took charge. The Dutch coach has mainly deployed him on the right, whereas Griezmann would prefer to play centrally.

The France forward even aimed a dig at his club coach while on international duty, with Didier Deschamps using him in his preferred role.

Now, Griezmann must return his attention to his duties at club level – and his coach admits he has spoken to the 29-year-old about his concerns.

“Everyone has the right to say whatever he wants,” Koeman said. “I spoke to Antoine yesterday because I wanted to, not because of what he said.

“I told him I want the best for the team and I know he can play on the right side and other positions. It’s up to each player to find his own best performance.

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“He is already doing all he can do: he works hard, has an excellent discipline and now he must be luckier with his final touch. Against Sevilla there were a couple of times in which he could have done better.

“Regarding his positioning, I remember when I was Netherlands coach, we played against France and he was playing on the right side. It’s the coach who makes the orders.

Koeman denies Griezmann problem

“I don’t have any problems with Antoine, I only look for the best for the team and the club. My job is to bring out the best performance of each player but I can only pick 11.

“I won’t ask a player to play a role far from what he is used to, and I’m not doing it with Griezmann because he can play on the right. I understand that maybe there are positions he prefers, but we can’t play with two players in the role of the 10.”

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