“You’re still my favorite, Antoine”, Deschamps praises Griezmann’s “example”

They have embodied the French team for almost a decade. Before the emergence of Kylian Mbappé, Didier Deschamps and Antoine Griezmann took the Blues to the top and continue to do so. The French coach places blind confidence in his number 7, who could honor an 83rd consecutive cap, next Saturday against Gibraltar in Nice. Questioned at the microphone of Téléfoot on TF1, this Sunday, “DD” reiterated all the good things he thought of “Grizou”.

“For a team, it’s wonderful to have him. It's a great example. I have accompanied him over the years and matches but the credit goes to him. A human relationship of trust was created. I know what I owe him and what he does for this France team,” confided Deschamps, rave about the importance of Griezmann within the blue collective. “No one is irreplaceable. But it's about making sure that you're indispensable, and over the years, he's made sure to be that. He is solid as a rock but yet he takes a beating. He also has this ability to transmit, because of what he is, what he represents. He’s a driving force and he always has a smile.”

Indispensable whatever his position, as a second striker or more recently in the middle, the Atlético Madrid player no longer has anything to prove to his mentor, who declared his love for him with a smile: “You are still a little my darling, Antoine!”.

Before regretting his 21st place in the last Ballon d'Or, despite his high-flying 2023 in La Liga and a successful World Cup in Qatar. “The rankings don’t mean anything but at the last Ballon d’Or… pfff,” sighed the coach. In all sincerity, he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. And he could, in 2018, have been crowned Ballon d’Or.” Maybe his time will come in 2024, who knows? Brilliant with his club, the “darling” Griezmann will undoubtedly still be one of the spearheads of Deschamps’ French team at the Euro in Germany.