Antoine Griezmann says leaving Atletico Madrid ‘would be a dirty move’ after transfer ban upheld

Antoine Griezmann has pledged his immediate future to Atletico Madrid, saying it would be a “dirty move” to leave the club after their transfer ban was upheld.

The 26-year-old France forward had been heavily linked with a potential world-record transfer to Manchester United, but any such move is off after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) earlier this week upheld a ban on the club registering new players in this transfer window.

Speaking on French television show Telefoot on Sunday morning, Griezmann said: "The ruling of the Cas has come through. Atletico cannot recruit. With my sporting adviser, Eric Olhats, we decided to stay.

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■ Video: Antoine Griezmann: 'Six out of 10' chance of joining Manchester United

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“It’s a hard time for the club. It would be a dirty move to leave now. We talked to the leaders and we will be back for next season.”

Atletico, along with city rivals Real Madrid, were handed two-window transfer bans by Fifa in January 2016 for multiple breaches of global football’s rules on the registration of under 18 players and both clubs failed in their appeals to Fifa last September.

The two Spanish giants then took their cases to the Cas but, while Real saw their ban halved to one transfer window in December, Atletico announced on Thursday that the only reduction they had been given was regarding their financial penalty, down from £720,000 to £440,000 (Dh3.4 million to almost Dh2.1m).

That leaves them unable to sign new players until the January window, ending the club’s bid to bring in Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, who was seen as a likely replacement for Griezmann.

Griezmann, who has a release clause in his contract set at €100 million (Dh414m), scored 26 goals in 53 appearances for Atletico this past season.

* Press Association

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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?

George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.

Hunting park to luxury living

Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”