“I know many people want to hear it from my voice: I’m sorry”.
Those were the words of Antoine Griezmann on Saturday night after his goal gave Atlético Madrid their first win at San Mamés in five years.
It was a performance which evoked the best memories of the Diego Simeone era, a hard-fought win forged in pure Cholismo. Griezmann’s goal was taken with supreme composure and was the Colchoneros’ only shot on target of the game. But it was enough for a classic 1-0 win.
But the real story was Griezmann’s post-match comments to Spanish radio. He declared his relief at the contract saga finally being remedied and reaffirmed his commitment to Atleti. To say his relationship with the fans has been turbulent over the last four years would be an understatement.
In the summer of 2018, Griezmann was on top of the World. Having ended the season with a brace in the Europa League final victory over Marseille, Griezmann was a vital component as France won the World Cup in Russia. But it was his off-the-pitch shenanigans which were making the headlines. Following reports of an illegal approach from Barcelona in the winter of 2017/18, Griezmann was the centre of a documentary about his future: La Decisión. Ultimately, the Frenchman decided to stay in Madrid, but fans were furious at him using what they saw as a marketing gimmick at their expense.
Relations were strained further when he did make the move to Camp Nou just a year later, and celebrated his first goal with an NBA stardust celebration. It seemed than he wanted to be a celebrity more than a footballer. Atleti fans were clear: ‘we don’t want you, Barça can have you’.
Following the implosion of the Josep Maria Bartomeupresidency and a relatively poor season, Griezmann had the opportunity to move back to Atleti on loan last summer, in a move which divided opinion to say the least. Just three league goals left fans wishing he had not returned.
This season, the off-field drama has continued, with the clause in his loan deal stipulating that Atleti must pay Barça 40 million euros if he plays a certain number of matches. This led to Atleti leaving him on the bench for the first seven games of the season. Now, with the agreement finally reached, Griezmann had taken on greater responsibility in the team, as Simeone always wanted. The winning goal at home against Porto in the Champions League last month seemed like a significant moment. Now, with everything officially sorted, he can focus on the future, and wants to build the bridges he burned.
He accepted his role on the bench without recrimination, something in contrast to another Atleti forward, and he willingly lowered his salary to help facilitate the deal. Griezmann is saying all the right things and if he continues to deliver on the pitch, he will surely begin to win over the hearts and minds of the fans once again.