Antoine Griezmann spent ten years in the France A team. A page has now been turned.
Last Monday, Antoine Griezmann announced to everyone’s surprise that he was putting
an end to his international career. This Thursday, at the beginning of the afternoon, Didier Deschamps appeared at a press conference to unveil
his list of 23 players selected to face Israel and Belgium in the League of Nations.
With the absence of Kylian Mbappé, the international retirement of the Atlético de Madrid player was one of the central questions of his interview with journalists. “Antoine is reaching an age where there is physical and psychological fatigue. He made this decision and he accepts it, in the sense that it is not constrained or forced. It didn’t happen in two days, he was already thinking about it during the last competition,” revealed the French coach.
Deschamps would have continued to summon Griezmann
The 1998 world champion also recalled some of the qualities of his former “favorite”. “He didn’t have a linear or smooth path. On a human level, he was a very endearing, generous person, a leader on the ground. It’s a page that is obviously turning. He had already made his decision after careful consideration. Without his decision, he would be here today.”he confessed.
With 137 caps, Antoine Griezmann is on the podium of the most capped players behind Hugo Lloris (145) and Lilian Thuram (142). With the Blues, the native of Mâcon was a finalist in Euro 2016, won the 2018 World Cup then the 2021 Nations League.
