Griezmann: Super Cup triumph justifies staying at Atletico
After Atletico Madrid downed rivals Real Madrid 4-2 in the UEFA Super Cup, Antoine Griezmann said he was right to stay at the club.
Antoine Griezmann says Atlético de Madrid winning the UEFA Super Cup justifies his decision to stay at the club. Griezmann was reportedly a target for LaLiga champions Barcelona for the second year in a row, but he announced he would stay at Atlético in a television documentary. The France forward subsequently signed a new Atlético contract before travelling to the World Cup, where his three goals helped Les Bleus triumph at Russia 2018.
Griezmann was out-of-sorts in Wednesday's 4-2 Super Cup extra-time victory in Tallinn, lasting only 57 minutes as he builds up his fitness levels ahead of the new season. But a Diego Costa brace and superb strikes in extra time from Saúl Ñíguez and Koke saw Europa League champions Atlético record a famous victory over their Madrid rivals.
El Cholo, key in Griezmann's decision to stay
Diego Simeone is now the most successful head coach in Atlético history with seven major titles and Griezmann's faith in the Argentinean was central to his decision to stay. "I stayed because there was a good project," Griezmann told Movistar. "I have confidence in this club, in Cholo [Simeone]... Today I saw that I was not wrong."
Atlético had to come from behind against the Champions League holders despite Costa giving them the lead in the first minute with the fastest goal in Super Cup history.
Not yet running on full steam
"I was a little bit drowned because it was my second game," Griezmann said. "In the end the important thing was to get ahead on the scoreboard, we made a very complete final. We know that physically the two teams have not reached 100 per cent, the key was the desire to win. It was time for us to win the UEFA Super Cup again, it was very important to start the season like this."