No UCL, LaLiga or Spanish Cup - How will Griezmann be remembered at Atlético Madrid?

Atlético Madrid will once again finish the season without any silverware. On Tuesday, Atlético lost the second leg of the Champions League semifinals to Arsenal 1-0 thanks to a goal by Bukayo Saka (45’). Although the result was tight, Atleti never looked like they were going to come back from the deficit, finishing the match with zero shots on goal and an xG of just 0.53. It was also the final Champions League game for club legend Antoine Griezmann.

The Frenchman will leave the LaLiga club in the summer to join Major League Soccer franchise Orlando City. But how will he be remembered? Griezmann has featured in 497 games for the club, scoring 212 goals and 99 assists. His 98 appearances in the Champions rank him just third behind Koke (118 games) and Jan Oblak (106 games). Griezmann ranks fourth overall in all-time appearances for the club, and his 212 goals are the most scored by any Atleti player in history.

Those numbers should be enough to rank him among the club’s biggest legends. But part of the story is also that Griezmann’s career at Atlético Madrid ends without him having won the Champions League, LaLiga, or Copa del Rey with the club. Indeed, it was during his brief spell at Barcelona between 2019 and 2022 that Atlético Madrid won LaLiga. Griezmann’s only major trophy with Atlético Madrid was winning the Europa League in 2018.

Atlético Madrid: Griezmann departure the start of major changes?

Indeed, there was so much promise when Griezmann returned to Atletico Madrid in 2022. But in hindsight, the return perhaps fell a bit short of expectations. In fact, Atlético haven’t won a trophy since the club secured the LaLiga title in 2021. This year will mark the fifth year without silverware for the club coached by Diego Simeone. Hence, Griezmann’s departure might not just mark the end of his era at the club, but could be the start of a major rebuild and significant changes elsewhere in the squad and among the club’s hierarchy.