The Slight Advantage of Antoine Griezmann

Small of frame but big on talent, Antoine Griezmann of France could have a huge part to play on home soil at this summer's Euros.

- Howard Johnson

On Antoine Griezmann’s forearm there is a tattoo in Arabic. It is a quote from a famous French writer who shares a first name with the Atletico Madrid and France striker.

Author of world-famous story The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery effortlessly captures life’s awesome wonder. No wonder, then, that Griezmann decided to ink himself with Saint-Exupery’s charming line: “Fais de ta vie un rêve, et fais de ton rêve une réalité", meaning “make your life a dream, and make your dream a reality”.

If that has been Griezmann’s mantra, then so far so good. At the age of 25, most of his dreams have already come true. A leading light in France National coach Didier Deschamps’ squad and a hero in his adopted homeland of Spain, with 1.8 million followers on Twitter, Griezmann has already shown why he is tipped to be one of the big stars of Euro 2016.

“He always knows how to hurt the opposition,” says Diego Simeone, his coach at Atletico – and the animated Argentinian is not kidding. In front of goal, Griezmann has the kind of ice in his veins that others can only dream of and is a player who never needs asking twice to set the net bulging. 

Griezmann is no physical, bullying presence smashing his way onto the goal scoring leader board, though. He relies on blistering pace, all-round athleticism and the audacity to try his luck from anywhere and everywhere. 

“I try to play between the lines, to get on the front foot and attack defenders like Messi,” he says.

These are the skills that have really excited Deschamps, not to mention the ever-growing number of French football fans who are loudly singing his praises.