Antoine Griezmann is one of the most important players of the French team in the last decade, his influence on the team is indisputable, but his performance in the European Championship has raised great doubts in the French press. The second captain of Les Bleus was a substitute against Polanda purely technical decision by Deschampsreopening the debate on whether he has to start in the round of 16, on July 1 in Düsseldorf.
Griezmann was not a substitute for France due to a technical decision since the second day of the group stage of the 2016 Euro Cup, when he did not start in a match against Albania. From then on, no one moved him from the eleven. He played 84 consecutive games, an absolute record, as an international and only the spectacular record came to a halt during the March break.in which he was not due to an ankle injury that prevented him from increasing his numbers.
The playmaker arrived at the Eurocup as one of France’s leaders, second captain and possessing radical stature in Didier Deschamps’ team. But, as the tournament has progressed, his physique has decreased, after a grueling season with Atlético de Madrid, indicating that he was not in full physical condition. That led Deschamps to sit him against Poland, but what seemed like a question of rest has become, at least that’s how they see it in France, a technical decision. On the second day, against the Netherlands, he missed two clear opportunities that, in any case, were not the explanation for his substitution this Tuesday.
The French coach justified the decision at a press conference, after the 1-1 draw against Poland, ensuring that “I opted for three fast players, Kylian (Mbappé), Ousmane (Dembélé) and Bradley (Barcola), to provide speed and vertical play against taller players. “I don’t adapt to the opponent, but I make sure I have the most dangerous team,” he said, declining to answer whether Griezmann’s non-tenure was due more to a physical issue than a sporting one.
“Griezmann, smiling, made the decision like a professional,” added Deschamps. The newspaper L’Équipe, however, reported that the decision to be a substitute did not please the Atlético player, considering that the match against Poland would have served to get him in shape and, in turn, to recover his competitive rhythm. “A shadow in the group stage,” slips the French newspaper, while RMC Sport questions whether he will be ready for the round of 16.
France faces the final phase of the Euro Cup with many questions, mainly that of Griezmann, while Deschamps now has five days to prepare for the match in the best possible way. The coach argues that he was looking for more verticality and less control without Mâcon, but the reality is that his substitution corresponds to his physical condition. On July 1, in Düsseldorf, Griezmann is not guaranteed to be a starter, so he will have to work hard in Paderborn, the base camp of the French team, to persuade his coach that he should be a starter.
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