La Liga: Real Madrid drop points, Barca and Atletico win
Real Madrid dropped two points in the race for the La Liga title, being held to a 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano.
Atletico Madrid star forward Antoine Griezmann on Tuesday extended his contract and will remain with the Spanish football club until June 30, 2022, ending a period of uncertainty about the future of the French international amid speculation about a possible 100 million euros ($112 million) move to Manchester United.
The previous contract of the 26-year-old was to run till June 30, 2021. But with the player sticking with Atletico following the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholding a transfer ban on the club until January 2018, the Spanish outfit has rewarded Griezmann with a new contract.
"Atlético de Madrid have reached an agreement with Antoine Griezmann for the extension of his contract for one more season," the club posted on its website.
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Griezmann, who had earlier spoken of his desire to win trophies — sparking rumours of his move to a new club — felt that his statements were misunderstood.
"The first thing that I want to do is apologise to the people who misunderstood my statements. Maybe I expressed myself badly or someone wanted to make news where there weren't any," he said in a statement.
"But since I came, I have given my all for my club, my teammates and my coaching staff, and I'm very happy to live one more season with all of you."
According to reports, the new contract significantly increases the 260-year-old's salary to around $250,000 per week, but it also maintains his buyout clause at 100 million euros, which is within reach of Europe's biggest clubs.
Griezmann has been with Atletico since July 2014, scoring 83 times in 160 games in all competitions.
Atletico finished third in La Liga last season and are to compete in the next edition of the Champions League.
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