Antoine Griezmann Cements Legendary Status with Atletico Madrid FC

 Antoine Griezmann enhanced his legendary status with his brace in their mid-week La Liga match with Getafe on the 19^th of December. The match ended 3-3, after Getafe rallied from 1-3 down to equalize against an Atletico Madrid side that was short of one player because of a red card awarded against Stephan Savic.

Despite his trophy-filled career, Griezmann’s latest achievement remains a sweet one, having just equaled the over 50-year record of the legendary Luis Aragones, as the highest goal scorer in the history of Atletico Madrid. With any other goal he scores for Atletico, he’d become the indisputable highest goal scorer in the club’s history, eclipsing Aragones and with the 2023/24 season close to halfway, achieving this feat is imminent.

The Record  -19^th December 2023

Number of goals     Total matches        Name of player

173                              370                            Luis Aragones

173                             364                            Antoine Griezmann

 

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN’S FOOTBALL TRAJECTORY

Antoine Griezmann’s career is filled with trophies, right from the age grades to his current level. He started his adult football career in Spain, with Real Sociedad, and then moved to Atletico Madrid in 2014. After 94 matches with them, he moved to Barcelona, for a reported sum of € 120 million but soon returned to continue his harmonious relationship with Atletico. With Barcelona, Griezmann won the Copa de Rey, maintaining a record of winning a trophy for every club he’s played for in his senior career.

He’s known for his versatility to play across different attacking positions and has remained consistent for over a decade. Griezmann has won the UEFA U-19 Championship, FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Championship, the UEFA Europa Cup. The Spanish La Liga and Segunda and has also been a runner-up for the highest goal scorer award in the World Cup, and UEFA Championship. At 32 and still active, very little separates him from the most accomplished football stars on the World stage such as Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo! Apart from the Balloon D’or, where he’s only got a third position, very little separates him from their achievements.

Apart from a little stint in the youth academy with his hometown club, UF Mâconnais, where he started his career, Griezmann has never played his club football in his country of origin, France. This has not stopped him from currently having over a century of caps with them. He’s been very fortunate in enjoying no career-threatening injury and has maintained some consistent runs in his playing career.

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN’S FOOTBALL LEGACY

Griezmann’s career remains fulfilled even at this phase of his career, and he still has more active years ahead of him. Very few players enjoy the privilege of winning the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Cup, and listless club and individual titles that he’s won in his career. To have competed at the highest level of European–World football, especially with his stint at Atletico Madrid and Barcelona FC, is a testament to his unquestionable football skill. Maintaining a prominent role in a star-packed French national team for almost a decade further strengthens the quality he possesses and whenever he decides to retire from the beautiful game, his imprints would be difficult to be instantly forgotten.

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AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF NIGERIA's FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT: 1959-2009.