Following Antoine Griezmann’s poor spell at FC Barcelona, there was a common narrative that he had declined and was not the player he was before. Often, when a transfer does not work out for a player, a correlation is made to the player’s lack of quality. At Barcelona, Griezmann simply did not fit the system that they already had in place.
One of the stars of the World Cup
Griezmann’s performances on his Atletico Madrid return as well as at the international level at the FIFA World Cup this year have shown that his quality and work ethic have not faded at all. He has been arguably France’s key player in their journey to the World Cup final against Argentina. Griezmann will face a former teammate from his short stint at Barcelona in the form of the great Lionel Messi. In the Argentina vs France betting odds, there’s nothing to separate the two sides, with both priced at 5/6. The result could also have a huge impact on which player is awarded the Golden Ball for the tournament. A strong performance from Griezmann could give him the edge over Messi. In actual fact, the Golden Ball has been awarded to a player from the country that finished as runners-up in the past few editions.
https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/1603317048716689410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Related: I’ll Do My Best To Win Back Atletico Madrid Madrid Fans’ Heart -Griezmann
Why did it not work out at Barca?
Griezmann’s disappointing spell at Barcelona is what harms his legacy and reputation the most. But the fact he was a misfit at Barcelona was by no fault of his own, and more accurately related to Barcelona’s poor recruitment.
The likes of Phillipe Coutinho and Lionel Messi were already at the club when he joined and they operated in the half-space areas where Griezmann plays his best football. Barcelona’s recruitment can be questioned for a number of reasons over the past few years, but in the Frenchman’s case, they simply bought a profile that was not what they required. They wished for Griezmann to be their out-and-out striker, but he is a player that thrives between the lines.
Ever since his Barcelona move, Griezmann was often labeled as a flop by the footballing world, but his impressive World Cup campaign in Qatar has quickly changed the narrative and shown he has a lot more to offer at the top level.
Still one of the best creative players
At the World Cup, Griezmann has been one of the most mesmerizing performers overall. Out of possession he has been relentless in hunting the ball back. On the ball, his typical self could be likened to his prime years at Atletico. He has provided three assists at the tournament, the most vital of which was his delivery for Olivier Giroud which led to England being dumped out in the quarter-final.
https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/1603132873057484803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Back at Atletico for Simeone, this season he has only started 50% of the games in La Liga yet he has recorded five goals and four assists in league fixtures. Griezmann seems to have gotten the confidence and composure back that he had prior to his Barcelona transfer. On current form he is certainly one of the highest-quality footballers on the planet, only Messi could challenge his form on the biggest stage of all in Qatar this year.
