Soccer-Big transfer fees no ticket to starting 11 for Hazard, Felix, Griezmann

FILE PHOTO: Soccer - La Liga Santander - SD Huesca v FC Barcelona - Estadio El Alcoraz, Huesca, Spain - January 3, 2021 Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and Antoine Griezmann REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Eden Hazard, Joao Felix and Antoine Griezmann cost a combined 346 million euros ($425.44 million) but had to settle for places on the bench as the coaches at Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona put game strategy before price tags at the weekend.

Hazard, Real Madrid's record signing at a reported 100 million euros, had recently recovered from the latest in a long run of injuries but was left out of the starting 11 for the third game in a row for Saturday's 2-0 home win over Celta Vigo.