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Over in Riyadh, Antoine Griezmann is breaking a document. A neat flip along with his left foot leaves one Actual Madrid marker on the bottom and one other trailing in his wake. A fierce shot along with his proper foot sees the ball fly into the underside nook of the online.
Finally, Actual Madrid got here from behind twice to win an exciting Spanish Tremendous Cup semi-final by 5 targets to a few after additional time. Griezmann goes into the Atletico Madrid historical past books, however. His redemption in purple and white is now full.
It was he who additionally scored the primary ever objective on the Metropolitano Stadium. “It was not simply any objective,” he mentioned on the time. Nor was this one. The objective that made it 174 for Atletico, breaking the document set by Luis Aragones virtually half a century in the past.
A statue of Atletico Madrid legend Luis Aragones on the Metropolitano Stadium
There’s a statue of Aragones exterior the Metropolitano. There was a time when any hope of Griezmann being honoured in the identical means appeared lengthy gone. Even the small plaque to mark each participant who has made 100 appearances for the membership appeared misplaced.
It was trashed upon his return with Barcelona. A trio of toy rats marked the spot, signifying the energy of feeling towards him. Contained in the stadium, there was a banner questioning his manhood. The chants from the Atletico followers have been much less savoury than that.
Griezmann got here by way of it. Resistance dissipated when he returned. Contrition was clear, work ethic unwavering. And moreover, Atletico nonetheless received a title with out him. Regardless of signing him twice, they’ve managed to make a revenue on their document scorer too.
Reminiscences have been made as nicely. His latest objective within the 1-0 win over Mallorca was the document twenty fifth event wherein Griezmann had scored the one objective of a recreation in La Liga. It speaks to how decisive his interventions have grow to be below Diego Simeone.
“With him, there may be at all times one thing particular that may seem at any second within the match,” says Simeone himself. Given a free position – as free as any participant can presumably be in a Simeone facet – Griezmann has flourished with out being seen to take too many liberties.
He nonetheless harries, masking the kilometres. That’s non-negotiable. But it surely has been in him for the reason that begin. Lyon instructed him that he was too small when only a boy. The whole lot since has been an train in displaying his robustness, proving that he can deal with the physicality.
He would have thrived wherever.
To take action at Simeone’s Atletico brings extra pleasure.
Antoine Griezmann after scoring the record-breaking objective towards Actual Madrid
As Jose Luis Caminero, the person who first signed him for Atletico, put it: “He’s a participant keen to sacrifice himself for the group when it’s wanted and work on defensive duties too, one thing that makes him completely different from the remainder of the world’s best gamers.”
A really Atletico Galactico.
As such, it’s applicable that even second time round, the battle got here earlier than the success. Upon being loaned again to Atletico, the dispute over his switch payment led to his minutes being restricted. He was on the bench for the primary seven video games of final season.
At that stage, all this regarded something however inevitable. “Many, many, thought in any other case,” Simeone identified. However Griezmann is taking part in one of the best soccer of a profession that received him the World Cup half a dozen years in the past and a nine-figure transfer to Barcelona after that.
Antoine Griezmann was the highest scorer in La Liga within the calendar 12 months of 2023
Griezmann was the excellent participant in Spanish soccer in 2023 – and it was not shut. The gulf between him and the remaining is finest illustrated by the truth that he was not solely the highest scorer in La Liga within the calendar 12 months however he was additionally prime of the assists listing too.
Griezmann was concerned in 34 Atletico targets, 9 greater than nearest rival Robert Lewandowski. No person else managed greater than 20. However even these numbers don’t do justice to his contribution. Examine the variety of large probabilities created to the remaining in 2023.
He’s scorer and creator, prompter in chief.
He has discovered himself once more. At Barcelona, that was unattainable within the shadow of Lionel Messi. Compelled to discover a new place, do issues that didn’t go well with his personal strengths in servitude to the group, he managed to make a job for himself, but it surely was not his personal.
Right here, and with Messi gone, he has established himself as the principle man not simply at Atletico however maybe within the competitors. “When he performs nicely, the group hits one other stage,” Simeone explains. “He permits us to have extra choices to transition from defence to assault.”
This objective was simply the most recent instance of that. It got here, simply because the record-equalling effort towards Getafe did final month, with a caveat. Two late targets to disclaim him the glory, that means that the celebrations have been curtailed. How appropriately Atletico is that.
This path has not been good. Twice, Griezmann has joined Atletico as champions however he has by no means received La Liga with them. Possibly that’s extra becoming. The battle is all a part of it with Atletico. And Griezmann is again, striving towards these royal rivals, main the battle.
The person whose Atletico profession may need led to ignominy however for his personal willpower to return has cast one other legacy, turned the web page on one other story. On the promenade of legends, a plaque not feels sufficient. Antoine Griezmann’s standing is lastly assured.
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