Antoine Griezmann has been both lucky and unlucky in his career.
He’s won the World Cup, been on the Ballon dOr podium, and lifted the UEFA Europa League trophy.
But there are still a few things missing from his cabinet.
He could have had another World Cup to his name, league titles that he has never won, and he lost both the UEFA Champions League final and the European Championship final.
Despite these setbacks, Griezmann has still achieved a great deal and remains one of the best players of his generation.
He is Atlético Madrid’s all-time top scorer and continues to play a crucial role for the club.
Since retiring from the French national team, he has devoted himself entirely to club football.
Atlético Madrid had a strong start to the season, reaching the Copa del Rey semi-finals, topping La Liga at one point, and advancing to the UCL knockout stages.
However, as has often been the case with Atlético, they started strong but were unable to maintain their momentum.
The season is ending without silverware, despite being in contention for multiple trophies.
In this scout report, we’ll examine Antoine Griezmann’s role at the club, how vital he is, and how he’s adapting to the younger players around him as he grows older under Diego Simeone.
Antoine Griezmann Position Changes Over Time
Early in his career, Antoine Griezmann position was that of a hybrid attacking role, mainly as a second striker, but with the technical ability and intelligence to also operate as a number 10.
This versatility made him highly effective, allowing Atlético Madrid to utilise him either as a striker behind a forward, as a striker himself, or in a dual-striker setup.
Over the years, he thrived in that role.
As he aged, Griezmann began to evolve.
His move to Barcelona was widely considered a failure, largely because he wasn’t used correctly, often playing out wide or in spaces already occupied by Lionel Messi.
However, upon returning to Atlético Madrid, he began adapting once again, taking on a new role that was more suited to his maturity and intelligence.
Now, he often plays as a free-roaming number 8, dropping deep to help in build-up, pressing high, and still joining attacks like a second striker when needed.
Both Didier Deschamps and Simeone recognised his ability to play in this modern midfield role, and both have shaped their systems to include him there.
At FC Barcelona, he even registered more tackles than most defenders, showing his two-way capability.
While he could easily thrive in a box-to-box role, we’re going to focus specifically on his role as an attacking 8 this season at Atlético Madrid, especially given the club’s new attacking talent.
Antoine Greizmann Radar Map
Given his technical ability and elite reading of the game, it’s no surprise that Griezmann ranks at the top in possession-based metrics.
He sits in the 98th percentile for received passes per 90, and he ranks in the 94th percentile for dangerous passes per 90, and again in the 98th percentile for total passes per 90.
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