“It is not at its best currently because we are used to seeing him give assists and score goals, to be important and decisive during all these years spent at Atlético. As a coach, I continue to have him play because I believe in him ”. Diego Simeone tried to justify the maintenance of Antoine Griezmann in the starting eleven of Atlético on Monday evening, after a victory acquired in the second period against Valladolid (4-2), the red lantern of the Liga.
Sportingly, the presence of “Grizi” at the start of the Madrid club meetings is completely unjustified. For months, perhaps even since the first part of the season when he still managed to shake the nets, the former offensive leader of the French team has been picked up physically. He has a hard time keeping the pace of the direct attacks on his teammates for a long time. It is clearly handicapping for the men of the “Cholo”, eliminated from the Champions League and the King's Cup, as well as distant in the title race.
Author of 8 goals in Liga and 6 in the Champions League, with 9 assists on the clock, Griezmann no longer even saves his performances with a defensive action. Last November at the Parc des Princes, for example, he had been a decisive passer on the last action of the match after having missed everything in front of a largely dominant PSG. The native of Mâcon scored a goal in the last 15 games and was not decisive during his last nine outings.
Griezmann in luxury joker
Griezmann is finally relegated to the sidelines for the Colchoneros meeting in Las Palmas, this Saturday evening on behalf of the 32nd day of Ligue 1. Julian Alvarez, who holds Atlético at arm's length this season (26 goals in 48 matches), is thus associated with Alexander Sorloth, rather effective in the bench out of the way (16 goals in 43 matches). Beating the 18th of Liga will give the opportunity to the Madrilenians to return to seven points from Barça, a leader who snatched the three points rather this Saturday against Celta (4-3).
As a reminder, at 34, the 2018 world champion has the opportunity to free himself from his contract at Atlético, which runs until 2026, to continue his career in the United States. But Griezmann would have agreed to play a last season in the Spanish capital by lowering his salary by half. He would receive four million euros for the 2025-2026 season then the other four million remaining after his departure next year. While also accepting to become a luxury joker under the orders of Diego Simeone.
The eleven of AtlĂ©tico: Oblak – Llorente, GimĂ©nez, Le Normand, Galan – Simeone, Koke, Barrios, Gallagher – Sorloth, Alvarez.
