Just after reaching the final, Griezmann immediately takes action that makes Barcelona 'see red'

Following Atletico Madrid's official coronation as the new king of the Copa del Rey over Barcelona, Antoine Griezmann instantly stirred up past tensions with a cryptic social media update.

In the early hours of March 4, 2026, Camp Nou witnessed a highly emotional script. Despite Barcelona's efforts to secure a 3-0 victory in the second leg, it was insufficient to overturn the deficit after suffering a crushing 0-4 defeat in the first leg.

The moment the final whistle confirmed Atletico Madrid's place in the Copa del Rey final, Antoine Griezmann delivered a sharp "blow" in the digital realm.

On his personal account, the French star posted a moment of him celebrating wildly, in stark contrast to the image of two Barcelona players lying dejectedly on the pitch in utter despair. Accompanying the photo was a provocative caption: “Is this picture too harsh?” (Esta foto va muy dura?), combined with three suggestive laughing-with-hand-over-mouth emojis.

Griezmann's action was not impulsive but a carefully calculated "payback." The origin traces back to March 2025, after Barcelona staged a comeback to defeat Atletico 4-2 in La Liga. At that time, the Catalan club's official page posted a photo of Barcelona players celebrating with Griezmann standing as a blurred background figure, accompanied by the exact caption: “This photo is too savage”.

The French forward clearly took this incident to heart. He patiently waited a full year, until he directly eliminated his former club from a cup competition, to use the same old phrase to mock his rival. This "hoist with his own petard" moment instantly ignited a storm of debate between the two clubs' fans.

Griezmann's message is not just a celebration but a declaration of war for the fiery clashes to come. The rivalry between Spain's two top clubs is set to continue with high frequency in the near future.

On April 6, Atletico and Barcelona will face off again in La Liga. More notably, if both overcome their tricky opponents Tottenham and Newcastle in the Champions League, they will have two more epic battles in the quarter-finals.

Given Griezmann's excellent form and Barcelona's wounded pride, the upcoming clashes in April promise to be heated not only on the pitch but also across media platforms.