“I want to eat at their table. I want to get as close as possible to their level and win titles. My objective is to be among the best.”
When asked about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, these were the words fondly echoed by Antoine Griezmann, back in August in an interview with the Guardian. The 2016/17 season had just rolled in and after a relatively lengthy transfer saga, the belief of the Euros top-scorer had never seemed stronger.
Now as we look back, Griezmann’s year can easily be capped off as one of the strongest individual performances from a holistic perspective; The Frenchman had arrived on the scene.
Yet as past history of other players would suggest, this might be also the closest one would ever get to the table of the two aforementioned giants of the modern game.
Domestic Sensation
Griezmann was the goal-scoring machine for Atletico Madrid and France and his incredible statistics are just a testament to his contribution in 2016. In the latter half of 2015/16, he scored 19 goals (13 in La Liga) and gave 2 assists in 31 caps for Atletico, leading them to a third-place finish in the league. His fine goal-scoring form led to a Champions League Final appearance against Real Madrid, a re-match up of the 2014 UCL Final.
Though Atletico would go on to lose against their illustrious neighbours yet again, this loss would only be the first of the two defeats which would also, ironically, catapult Griezmann into the limelight.
He finished the last season as Atletico’s top-scorer with 32 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, a fairly remarkable record for a second-striker only in his second season at the club. He also made it to the Champions League and La Liga team(s) of the tournament, with creativity and flair that was quite pleasing to the eyes of pundits and scouts.
“He always knows how to hurt the opposition. He puts everything away,” Diego Simeone, the visceral manager of Atletico Madrid, said of him in an interview with The World Soccer back in April. Griezmann truly justified that statement this year.
The European Sensation
Come June and the UEFA Euro 2016. France, the host country, was also one of the favourites to lift the title, especially with a dependable goal-scorer in Griezmann. The talismanic forward dazzled in the competition, scoring and assisting in nearly all matches, sometimes single-handedly winning games for France. His semi-final brace against the world champions, Germany, set up the finals clash against Portugal.
However, another Ronaldo-led team had other ideas and alas, “two-times is the charm” is still not a proverb. France fell to Portugal, courtesy of an extra-time goal by Eder. Antoine Griezmann finished as the Player of the Tournament and also walked away with the Golden Boot Award with 6 goals (and 2 assists) in 7 appearances.
A phenomenal performance from an in-form player, signing off on a tumultuous season.
Transfer Saga and the new season
After an intense transfer window, with big clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea trying to lure him away, Griezmann decided to stick with Atletico for his third season. October brought more personal records as well – he was named the LFP’s La Liga Player of the Year, displacing the duopoly of Messi and Ronaldo for the first time since the award’s inception.
In the current 2016/17 season, he has scored 6 goals and clocked 4 assists till now and a further 3 goals and 2 assists in the Champions League, taking his official tally for the year to 28 goals and 8 assists. Remarkable as his personal achievements have been, Atletico’s domestic form has taken a surprise dip, with the team languishing in 6th place at the end of the year.
Also Read: Lionel Messi in 2016: A comprehensive review
Griezmann himself hit a drop in form and did not score in November or December. Los Rojiblancos woes are in tandem with Griezmann’s performance on the field. If the team has to bounce back, the Frenchman will need to start scoring again. In spite of what his nimble, frail body frame might suggest, his presence is immensely relevant on the field owing to his intelligent decision making.
(Video Courtesy: TeoCri YouTube Channel)
As The Year Ends
Right now, another familiar yet tense atmosphere hangs on the Vincente Calderon. The uncertainty of the club’s league form, coupled with the fact that Griezmann decided to end ties with his agent in October, has sparked rumours of a move away in the winter transfer window. The usual heavyweights like Manchester United, PSG and Chelsea, are already eager to get the contract of a player of Griezmann’s calibre.
A blessed player at the peak of his game, Antoine Griezmann holds a unique distinction of disturbing the top position(s) of Ronaldo and Messi. One hopes to see more from the fantastic Frenchman in the coming year, as he also tries to prove a point to the footballing world and dine with the two kings once again.
