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Tag: Antoine Griezmann

  • FIFA receives Atletico complaint over Griezmann approach

    FIFA receives Atletico complaint over Griezmann approach

    Football ruling body FIFA has confirmed receiving a complaint from Atletico Madrid who say Spanish league leaders FC Barcelona have illegally contacted their forward Antoine Griezmann.

    “We have received a complaint from Atletico Madrid about Griezmann’s case,’’ a FIFA spokesman told newsmen on Wednesday, without commenting further on the case.

    The 26-year-old Frenchman Griezmann renewed his contract at Atletico in summer until 2022.

    According to FIFA rules, he cannot be approached by interested clubs until the final six months of his contract.

    Read also: FIFA Rates Super Falcons World 37th Best Team

    Spanish news reports said Atletico have proof that Griezmann has been contacted by Barca over a possible transfer.

    Reports also said that Atletico were not seeking compensation or requesting sanctions for FC Barcelona, ​​but wanted to bring the matter to the attention of the football ruling body.

    Griezmann, who came to Atletico in 2014, has been linked with several top clubs, including Manchester United.

    His release sum was halved to 100 million Euros (118 million dollars) on September 1.

    At Barca, he can fill the void Neymar left in summer when he moved on to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee of 222 million Euros.

    NAN

  • Atletico drags Barca to FIFA over Griezmann approach

    Atletico drags Barca to FIFA over Griezmann approach

     

    Atletico Madrid will report Barcelona to FIFA over their allegedly illegal attempt to sign forward Antoine Griezmann.

    The Madrid outfit are outraged by Barcelona’s very public pursuit of the France international and will make an official complaint to world football’s governing body.

    Atletico shareholders and club chiefs met on Monday morning to discuss whether they should file a complaint and eventually came to a decision to do so.

    Barcelona are growing confident that Griezmann, who has seven goals in all competitions this term, will join them from Atletico next season.

    Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu met with the Frenchman’s family last week to finalise a deal for next year and club director Guillermo Amor said the meeting could be considered a sign of progress.

    ‘If Bartomeu met with Griezmann’s family as the newspapers say, then there may well have been an approach,’ he explained in an interview with Movistar.

    Manchester United have also shown an interest in the France international, however it is understood no complaint has been registered against any English club.

    It is not only the Barcelona top brass who have openly spoken of their desire to have Griezmann at the club.

    Striker Luis Suarez spoke of his hope to play alongside the France international should he make the switch next summer.

    ‘Both Griezmann and (Liverpool’s Philippe) Coutinho are elite players that are playing at the top level,’ the Uruguay star told RAC105.

    ‘They are where they are for a reason. They’re both young and have long careers ahead of them. And Barca always want the best players.’

    He added: ‘Griezmann would come here to add to the team and to help the side in the position that the coach wants him to play in.’

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lacazette vows to bring Griezmann to Arsenal

    Lacazette vows to bring Griezmann to Arsenal

     

    Alexandre Lacazette has vowed to ask close friend Antoine Griezmann to join him at Arsenal in an interview with Match of the Day magazine.

    Griezmann has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United over the past year but signed a new contract at Atletico Madrid this summer in light of the Spanish club’s transfer ban.

    Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid have also been linked with the 26-year-old, with Lacazette hoping his friendship with his France international team-mate could give the Gunners a chance at what would be a stunning transfer coup.

    “We are very good friends and have lots of fun,” Lacazette said. “Our nicknames for each other are Griezzy and Lacaz.

    “If Griezzy visits me in London, I’m going to ask him to sign for Arsenal!”

    Arsenal’s £52.7million record signing, Lacazette has adapted swiftly to the demands of the Premier League, scoring four goals in his first four home games.

    He may be firmly settled in the Emirates but for now the move from Lyon to London has brought a few teething problems for Lacazette.

    “I like London, but the weather isn’t great! I’m having English lessons at the moment,” he added.

    “Someone told me to avoid English food as it’s not very good for footballers.

    “The main difference between here and France is there are A LOT of very good strikers here – Kane, Lukaku, Aguero, Jesus, Vardy, Morata. It’s going to be a challenge!”

    Griezmann in June 2017, amid speculation that he could leave Atlético after the conclusion of the 2016–17 season, he extended his contract at the club by one year, until 2022.

  • Batshuayi strikes late to give Chelsea win

    Batshuayi strikes late to give Chelsea win

    Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi came off the bench to snatch a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday with the last kick of the game.

    The result took Antonio Conte’s side top of Champions League Group C.

    France international Antoine Griezmann rammed a penalty kick beyond former Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to give the home side a barely-deserved lead in the 40th minute.

    He was scoring the first European goal at their new stadium after striking the first Liga goal there this month.

    Former Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, who also spent time in Atletico’s youth system, pulled Chelsea level by glancing in Eden Hazard’s cross in the 60th minute.

    This was after the visitors had failed to make their first-half dominance count.

    Batshuayi replaced Morata with seven minutes remaining and inflicted a first home defeat on Atletico since September, 2015.

    It turns wide a Marcos Alonso cutback from close range deep into stoppage-time.

    “It’s very difficult when Atletico score [first] to come back, but in spite of this we deserved to win. We continued to play with good personality, we kept our heads on the pitch in every moment,” Chelsea coach Conte told a news conference.

    “We must be pleased with the performance and overall the personality we showed.

    “I always tell my players that it doesn’t change when you play at home or away, you have to play with the same personality and desire to play and try to deserve to win.”

    Atletico coach Diego Simeone has likened his side’s new home to the Circus Maximus in Rome.

    The club’s famously vociferous fans made a noise fitting of the biggest game in the stadium’s short existence, but Chelsea soon calmed the crowd.

    Hazard, without a goal in the Champions League since March 2015, was Chelsea’s chief creator.

    He dashed through the middle to lay the ball off for Morata to screw wide and then hitting the woodwork himself with a ferocious long-range strike.

    “Chelsea felt more comfortable than us and won the game deservedly,” said Atletico coach Simeone.

    “They were superior tactically and physically. They are a very competitive team, they showed more maturity than us and we have to congratulate them.”

    Atletico struggled to get into Chelsea’s half but capitalised from their first real foray forward.

    A deflected shot from Saul Niguez earned a corner kick from which David Luiz hauled Lucas Hernandez to the floor, leaving Griezmann to score a third goal in four games.

    Simeone’s side could have grabbed a second on the cusp of halftime when Courtois could only hold Koke’s stinging shot but Saul slotted the rebound just wide of the near post.

    A two-goal deficit would have been grossly unfair on Conte’s adventurous side, who also had the better of the second half.

    Morata wasted a chance to strike again when he skipped towards goal unchallenged, scuffing the ball wide of Jan Oblak’s goal.

    But Belgian international Batshuayi needed just one chance to grab the win that was as dramatic as it was deserved.

  • New Griezmann contract to retain €100m release clause

    New Griezmann contract to retain €100m release clause

     

    Antoine Griezmann will sign a new five-year contract with Atletico Madrid that will retain his €100million release clause, according to the club’s president.

    The France international has confirmed his desire to stay at the club despite heavy speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United.

    The 26-year-old said it would be wrong of him to force an exit in the wake of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold the transfer ban imposed on the club by FIFA.

    Griezmann has since agreed to a new deal that will reportedly double his wages but not see an increase in his release clause, which is understood to be set at €100m.

    When asked about the contract by Cadena SER, Enrique Cerezo said: “Yes, it’s one more year and the release clause will remain the same.

    “The issue of the money is a private one. We have maintained a confidentiality agreement with respect to the money.

    “I said many times that Griezmann would not leave. After months and months of reporting, time has proved me right.”

    Atleti are banned from registering new players before January of next year after FIFA found them guilty of breaching regulations over the transfer of minors.

    Diego Simeone’s side are nonetheless being linked with a number of possible reinforcements, including Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Chelsea striker Diego Costa, who says he has been told by manager Antonio Conte that he can leave.

    “He is the one that has to say and decide,” Cerezo said of Costa. “Costa is a Chelsea player and we can’t even say that we are interested. What I can say is that we are in a situation where we are working for the future.”

  • Real Madrid hit champions league final

    … Oust city rivals Atletico on 4-2 aggregate

    Defending champions Real Madrid set up another mouth-watering meeting with Juventus in next month’s UEFA Champions League final in Cardiff, after holding off a spirited Atletico Madrid on Wednesday..

    Atletico trailed 0-3 from the first leg, and looked unlikely to overturn the deficit and deny their rich neighbours the chance of repeating their 1998 meeting with Juventus.

    They stormed into an early 2-0 lead through Saul Niguez’s header and Antoine Griezmann’s cheeky penalty kick, but real grabbed a vital away goal.

    This was when Isco poked in a rebound after Toni Kroos’ fierce shot, following a brilliant run by Karim Benzema, was saved.

    The stunning goal checked Atletico’s momentum and left them needing three more goals to reach a third Champions League final in four seasons.

    Scoring hances were few for both teams after the game’s break, although substitute Kevin Gameiro missed two presentable chances to give the home side some hope.

    As it was, the damage from the first leg was irreversible as Real beat their neighbours in the competition for the fourth successive season.

    The defending champions, attempting to become the first team to win the Champions League twice in a row, will meet Juventus at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on June 3.
    OLAL

     

  • Ronaldo: The aging maestro still at his prolific best

    Ronaldo: The aging maestro still at his prolific best

    You can see the expression right in his face, the mood through which he waves his hand towards the Santiago bernabeu fans making them to understand his ability and credibility in front of a goal post which you never know when he can unleash his wrath upon your team; whether you agree with me or not, Cristiano Ronaldo’s age does not determine whether he will stop scoring goals and most especially the one that can destabilize the morale of the opponent. Even Antoine Griezmann shook his head when he scored his second goal against Atletico Madrid; therefore, he cannot be overlooked and you can’t joke with him when he is in the 18 yard box.

    He may have been experiencing what I like to call a footballer’s nightmare. His struggles to find the back of the net seemed an almost impossible and implausible expectation.

    He is arguably one the finest footballers the world of soccer will ever produce. Scoring 103 European  goals; even Atletico Madrid can only brag of 100 European goals since its inception. Lionel Messi, his arch rival, is still struggling with 96 goals.

    Regardless of his average scoring performance this season, it will be good advice for any one never to underestimate nor belittle his ability to attain a comeback- even at the age of 32.  With his 42 hat tricks for real Madrid, 50 champions league knockout goals, and 13 semi-final goals, we cannot but celebrate the almost ethereal talent of the immaculate Ronaldo.

    With the remarkable performance of Ronaldo on Tuesday, he has proven his doubters wrong once again after netting a hat trick against Diego Simeone’s side in the semi-final of the UEFA champions league in front of his home fans; this makes it his second hat trick against Simeone’s side this season and also making him the first player to ever score a back-to-back hat trick in the knockout stages of the UEFA champions league history.

    He is indeed a god in the world of soccer; even Lionel Messi with his impressive achievements cannot but recognize Ronaldo’s amazing talent and his ubiquitous historical records.

    Finally, Ronaldo has proven his might and the full extent of his talent by not only performing his ‘hat trick magic’ on smaller teams, but preponderantly on the best of the best in the international platform of the Champions league.

    With my above postulations and overwhelming evidences, I have just one question for you: Are you still one of his enemies?

  • Griezmann named French player of year

    Griezmann named French player of year

    Atletico Madrid star, Antoine Griezmann, was named French footballer of the year by France Football magazine on Monday.

    Griezmann last week finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or world footballer of the year award also organised by France Football, supersport.com reports.

    The 25-year-old was named best player at the European Championship in the summer, where France lost to Ronaldo’s Portugal in the final.

  • Ronaldo wins UEFA Best Player award

    Ronaldo wins UEFA Best Player award

    Real Madrid superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, has won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for the second time.

    Ronaldo, 31, claimed the prize ahead of his club team-mate, Gareth Bale and Atletico Madrid star, Antoine Griezmann, at a gala event held in Monaco on Thursday, Goal reports.

    The forward, who first won the award in 2014, scored the winning spot-kick as Real Madrid beat Atletico in the Champions League final on penalties in May,

    He also led Portugal to victory in the European Championship in June, scoring three goals during the tournament.

  • Euro 2016: Griezmann wins best player award

    Euro 2016: Griezmann wins best player award

    France forward Antoine Griezmann has won the award for Euro 2016 Player of the Tournament.

    UEFA has announced that the 25-year-old has been voted as player of the tournament by its team of 13 technical observers, which included Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes, Goal reports.

    Griezmann, who signed a new long-term deal at Atletico Madrid in June, was also named in the team of the tournament after scoring six goals to win the competition’s Golden Boot.

    He did not score in Sunday’s final, though, as hosts France went down to a surprise 0-1 defeat to Portugal thanks to substitute Eder’s extra-time winner.

    UEFA’s chief technical officer, Ioan Lupescu said: “Antoine Griezmann was a threat in every game he played.

    “He worked hard for his team and had technique, vision and quality finishing. The technical observers were in unanimous agreement that he was the tournament’s outstanding player.”

    Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches was named the tournament’s best young player.