Antoine Griezmann has rejected criticism of Atletico Madrid teammate Joao Felix.

Felix left Atletico in January for Chelsea on-loan, a move which coincided with the Spanish giants' sudden form surge.

Asked if Felix's absence was reason for Atletico's improvement, Griezmann said: "It wasn't because of him leaving.

"João Félix brought a lot of good things to the team, he was Spanish champion in his second season at the club, I've been here nine years and I haven't won any championships.

"After the World Cup, the whole team changed its mentality. Now we're here with a lot of energy and a lot of focus, this break did us good."