French forward is leaving Spain for MLS this summer but is targeting a big hurrah before departure
Antoine Griezmann has said he is determined to “make history” with Atletico Madrid as they prepare for their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal.
The tie is finely balanced after a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Metropolitano, where Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez were both on target from the penalty spot. The return leg will be played at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final.
Griezmann has confirmed he will join Orlando City in Major League Soccer this summer. He could have left much earlier in the year but decided to remain in Madrid for the remainder of the season.
“I was always clear: my goal was to stay here, because we could do something incredible,” Griezmann said. “I had no doubts. I felt we could do something historic, with another final, and the team knows it.”
The forward was part of Atletico’s last Champions League final appearance in 2016, when they lost to Real Madrid. Griezmann missed a penalty in normal time before later converting in the shootout defeat.
“That year was very different,” said Griezmann. “I was under a lot of stress. Everything was going so fast, and I didn’t know how to slow down. Now I’m more well-rounded, and calmer. I approach the matches more relaxed, and with a lot more joy.
“These are moments you think will come back, but they don’t. Not everyone gets to play in a Champions League semi-final. We can make history.”
Griezmann has only ever won the Europa League with Atletico, missing out on their La Liga and Copa del Rey wins when he joined Barcelona in 2021. He has the chance now to win the Champions League, a trophy he has never won before, with the club where he has spent the majority of the last 12 years.
“Every time you start the Champions League, you see yourself lifting the trophy,” Griezmann said. “Every team, every player, every kid in his bedroom [dreams of it]. We do too. We’re two games away.”
