This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
Barcelona's La Liga title bid suffered a significant blow on Tuesday as they drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid, a result that further doomed their chances of winning a third successive title.
Despite the importance of the match, Barcelona coach Quique Setien chose not to bring on forward Antoine Griezmann until the final minutes of the game, a decision that has sparked questions about the Frenchman's role at the club.
Griezmann, who joined Barcelona for a reported 120 million euros ($134.48 million) last year, has struggled to replicate his form at Atletico Madrid, where he was the leading scorer in each of his five seasons under Diego Simeone.
Since returning to action, Griezmann has not started in three of Barcelona's six games, missing crucial trips to Sevilla and Celta Vigo, which also ended in draws.
Setien's decision not to bring on Griezmann earlier has been met with criticism, with the coach stating that it was not easy to find a place for him without destabilising the team.
"It's true that bringing him on for such little time is tough for a player of his level but the circumstances obliged me to do that. The other option was not to bring him on at all," Setien said.
Setien also acknowledged that Griezmann might feel bad about being brought on so late, but added that he would not apologise to him.
"Tomorrow I'll speak with him. I won't apologise to him but I understand he might feel bad and I also feel bad for him because he's a great player and a great person," Setien added.
