The “unhappy” Griezmann leaves Atletico Madrid and Europe through the small door

There will be no “happy ending” to his “last dance.” The French striker for Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann, on Tuesday saw his last chance to reach the Champions League final evaporate again, and he will leave this summer for the United States without ever lifting the most expensive trophy in European football.
First, there was the injury of San Siro ten years ago: the Champions League final, which was marked by a penalty kick for “Griso” that bounced off the crossbar, and a loss in the harshest way on penalties to neighboring Real Madrid, led by Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo.
There will now be the wound of London, where the French world champion tried everything in his power to lead his team to Budapest, the scene of the grand final scheduled for May 30, without success, before exiting through the small door in the 66th minute.
At that moment, his team was trailing by a single goal, and his dream of leaving Atletico this summer not only as the club’s all-time top scorer, but also with a major title, the first since the European League (Europa League) in 2018, still exists.
But it was completely extinguished, and was swallowed up by the celebrations of the “Gunners”, who will return to the final after 20 years.
Arsenal’s French defender, William Saliba, said on Canal+: “I have a little idea about him. He is a legend, and I had the opportunity to play alongside him in the French national team. He is still a great player, and he caused us a lot of trouble back and forth, and I wish him all the best at the end of his career.”

Number 8 and right back
Griezmann was also unsuccessful in the first leg of the semi-final (1-1), with brilliant through passes that his teammates did not exploit well, and a left-foot shot that hit the crossbar, and he watched helplessly as Bukayo Saka opened the scoring (45), punishing a lax Madrid defence.
During the first 45 minutes, he performed well: opening spaces, passing, directing the game, always accurately, and the most prominent chances for “Rojiblancos” came, as usual, from his vision and movements.
Without forgetting his defensive duties, as if he was a second right back (19, 33), he almost committed the forbidden by pushing Belgian Leandro Trossard from behind inside the area (35), then celebrated as if it was a goal with his ball that he snatched from between the feet of striker Victor Yukiris with the help of Argentine Giuliano Simeone (40).
Offensively, Simeone’s first deep touch (8) and his perfect rebound cross (12) prompted his compatriot, Arsenal defender William Saliba, and his Spanish goalkeeper, David Raya, to intervene for the first time. Perhaps he was overly generous when he prepared the ball for Marcos Llorente, who was blocked by Brazilian defender Gabriel (31).
The former French international (137 international matches, 44 goals) will most likely get that last chance, ten minutes before his exit, when Raya blocked his shot with the right foot, and then Italian defender Riccardo Calafiore ran over his foot, which could not have given him a penalty kick, had it not been for his teammate Mark Poppel’s previous mistake on Gabriel (56).
In the eyes of most observers, whether players, coaches or fans who were asked in recent weeks, the son of Macon deserved a better farewell, and the absence of the “Cup with the Big Ears” and La Liga from his record will remain an anomalous achievement.
But as his Argentine coach Diego Simeone repeats, football “owes nothing” to anyone, even to its greatest artists and most exemplary teammates.
This is what Griezmann was and will remain: a complete, unique player. A “football genius,” for Cholo, and for many others.