The rise of Atletico Madrid over the last few years has been accredited to the fact that they have in their dressing room one of the finest managers of world football. Diego Simeone’s arrival at Atletico changed the club’s fortunes. From being an averagely good competitor they became equals of Real Madrid and Barcelona in fighting for domestic trophies. With two European cup finals and a La Liga to boot, Simeone’s team declared their arrival on the world stage of football.
Los Colchoneros has had a history of producing world-class strikers over the past decade or so. Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa and now Antoine Griezmann, all have contributed to the success of their side heavily.
However, much of Simeone’s success, in particular, has come owing to the excellence of Griezmann. The manager has produced a hard-hitting and battling side who refuse to concede goals but Griezmann adds that much-needed deftness and magic at the top, which is required to complete the balance of the team and score the important goals for Atletico.
In a side, where each player looks more of a warrior than a footballer, it is surprising to see a 5”9 feet tall player spearhead the attack with such poise. The Frenchman is all class with suave and panache written all over his game. He counter balances his team’s ruggedness with his sophistication and his phenomenal goal scoring record speaks about the effectiveness of his playing style.
He reached the zenith of his career last year when he finished third behind the modern day legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d’Or trophy. He finished the season with 32 goals in 54 appearances and helped Atletico reach the final of the Champions League while guiding France to the final of the Euro 2016.
It is now being reported that the Frenchman is targeted by Barcelona who are looking to add a fourth attacker to their side. The Catalans have Messi, Suarez and Demebele in their ranks. However, with Suarez losing his form this season and Dembele out injured, the responsibility to shoulder Barcelona has once again fallen on the Argentine magus.
This has made Barcelona try and ease the pressure on their talisman by bringing in a top class forward in the form of Griezmann. However, it might not be easy for them to get their hands on the prized Frenchman, as Simeone might not sell his best player to a direct rival.
