Antoine Griezmann and Barça, what could have been and was not

Antoine Griezmann landed in the City Condal in the year 2019 like one of these incorporations that generate illusion in a torrent. The Frenchman arrived with the label of champion of the world and with poster to be one of the best players of the world, but lamentably, after 102 parties in which it harvested 35 goals and 17 assistances, never attained to show this image of player crashes that to day of today has recovered in his second stage in the Athletic of Madrid.

They are varied the reasons that perhaps could explain the fact that the ex of the Real Sociedad had not settled and triumphed of the all in the Catalan cast, independently that it topped decent numbers and several stellar performances. The most evident reason goes through his role in the diagram blaugrana and the position in which it exerts , something that if it evaluates so much in the Barça as in his current team, will denote that it varies notoriously.

Griezmann Never could play in his ideal position in the Barça

In the FC Barcelona, Antoine Griezmann tuvo very few opportunities to settle in the role and the position that seems to give him better. In 102 meetings with the elastic Barcelona, played 40 like left extreme, 40 like leading centre, 10 like right extreme, nine like mediapunta and three like mediocentro offensive, being conditioned, of course, by recaer in a group habituado to play with a 4-3-3 classical and in which Luis Suárez fungía as only spearhead.

Besides, the few meetings that had like leading centre in the discipline culé also gave in a context little favorecedor for him, as in some opportunities had to share front of attack with Leo Messi in a 4-4-2 that forced him to be more a nine referential that a second tip with freedom of movement, role that exerted in this moment the Argentinian star. Few of these tactical variations allowed him manage to taste as it does it in the Athletic at present.

The 'Cholo' gave him to Griezmann the leadership that needed

In the dynamic colchonera, his situation yes that has changed. The 'Cholo' Simeone has him empoderado mounting a diagram 5-3-2, in which Álvaro Morata funge like nine of area with a fixed position and the French yes that it can give off and, to the pair to appear like offensive reference, does the times of 'playmaker' with total freedom of game in all the demarcations of the field, a change that has desatado to Antoine Griezmann indomable of the last time and that does rememorar to that stellar player that knew colarse in the triple of the Balloon of Gold in more than an opportunity.

It is not casualidad that so much in France as now in the Athletic of Madrid, where gives him the role of figure and gives him freedom of game, the ex of the Barça have found his best level futbolístico, concatenating 11 goals in 15 parties in this season 2023/2024, giving clear signals that his explosion in the FC Barcelona never aroused by a question associated to that Leo Messi was the main figure and probably the only that had the necessary licences to give these freedoms to play by any zone of the terrain of game.