Euro 2016 Shapers: Antoine Griezmann, France’s Lionel Messi, backed to star on home soil
Euro 2016 Shapers: Antoine Griezmann, France’s Lionel Messi, backed to star on home soil
June 1, 2016 Updated: June 1, 2016 01:43 PM
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In the second part of our series looking at players that could shape this summer’s European Championship, Andy Mitten focuses on France striker Antoine Griezmann.
It’s December 2014 and Antoine Griezmann has been at Atletico Madrid for five months. He travels to Turin where he expects to play against Juventus in a key Uefa Champions League game, but he is kept on the bench, the first European game in six that he has not started after his substantial €25 million (Dh102.4m) summer move from Real Sociedad.
He has scored in only two of his first 14 league games and there are doubts about the young Frenchman who has never played club football in France.
When he arrived at the Juventus Stadium he sought out Patrice Evra and Paul Pogba, two of his France international teammates whom he had become close to at that summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
"He wasn’t going to play and he was frustrated with life at the club," recalls Evra. "He was really down with life. Me and Paul said to him: ‘Grizzle [his nickname], trust us, it’s difficult when you get to a new club’.
"I explained how difficult it was for me when I arrived in Juventus after being at Manchester United, a club I was settled at, but I believed in my quality and told him to do the same. Thankfully, things did work out for him and I’m proud of him. He’s a nice boy."
Evra is of the opinion that a diamond must be formed by being under pressure — and that pressure can be tough.
"Antoine showed how much personality he has and I love that kind of player," Evra says. "He’s like me, someone who has to get down for their personality to come out. I think Grizzle needs to thank [his coach] Diego Simeone, he’s helped him a lot. He’s given him the fighting spirit."
Griezmann, 25, is expected to be one of the stars in France 2016.
"We call him Grizzle," Evra explains. "He’s such a sweet boy. He and Paul [Pogba] called me Uncle Pat because I’m a little older than them."
Despite being dropped for that Juventus game, Griezmann had a very decent first season in Madrid, scoring 25 goals in 53 matches and making six assists. He was spectacular in his second, scoring 32 in 53 with one more assist.
"I’m so happy for him," Evra says. "I first started to know him when we were in Brazil for the World Cup. He made his France debut that year. I said to him: ‘You know, you’re a really talented player, but you’re not a killer. He looked at me and said, ‘What do you mean’?
"You have a nice touch, you have the twist, you have a lot of opportunities to score goals, you always play beautiful ... but you are going to go nowhere. He was like, ‘Yeah, I know what you’re saying.’
"I said: ‘Antoine, you have so much talent but you need to have a killer instinct’. He’s got that now."
Griezmann is not only brilliant, he is versatile and can play on either wing, as a first or secondary striker.
"I prefer him as a half nine," Evra says of the position he would like to see his teammate play.
"Just behind the nine. You have to give him the freedom. He has a very good first touch. He can either go with the ball or give it straight to the winger. He’s first touch has so much quality, it’s like [Lionel] Messi. He’s also like Messi because he has small steps and you don’t know which way he’s going to go."
Griezmann, who played in last weekend’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid via penalty shoot-out, goes into the European Championship as one of the tournament’s most highly rated players.
"I’m confident that he can be one of the greatest," says left-back Evra, who will play alongside him in France. "I don’t want to put pressure on him but I’m confident for him."
Griezmann, who has 27 France appearances to his name, will have more pressure because France’s main striker Karim Benzema will not play at the tournament.
"We’ll miss Benzema but that’s also an opportunity for Grizzle," Evra says.
"Many French fans think that he doesn’t score, but he’s best when he’s under real pressure as he showed when he was at Atletico. I will do everything I can to help him deal with the pressure because I really believe in him."
Evra is not the only one who is expecting Griezmann to be one of the stars of Euro 2016.
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