LaLiga: Atletico Madrid’s fierce Griezmann stance shows they’ve joined the elite

The phone call most chairman dread in football is that of an elite side enquiring about the availability of their star player. They know contact has already been made between third parties and the player might have even given the green light for negotiations to begin.

It’s all about getting the maximum value out of the transfer and planning for the future as the move is practically done the moment the phone call comes in.

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This was the case for Atletico Madrid a couple of years ago when they sold Arda Turan to Barcelona. The previous campaign saw them lose both Diego Costa and Filipe Luis to Chelsea.

In 2013 they were forced into selling Radamel Falaco and stretching even further back to 2011, Sergio Aguero and David De Gea left for Manchester – City and United respectively. Everyone had their price. The books needed to be balanced after all.

Now the scene is different. Atletico Madrid broke the monopoly Real Madrid and Barcelona held over the Spanish league back in 2014 but still weren’t considered equals, or even close to the level of their rivals. Dismissed as a one off, that monetary issues or vultures picking apart their title winning squad would see Atletico hurtle back down to join the rest of the also rans.

Losing your star striker – again – as well as your best left back would’ve been a major cause for concern but Atletico quickly invested that money in Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak. Internally they knew they were powerless to stop those who wanted to seek pastures new, be it in the desire to win more trophies or simply to line their pockets before they called it a day. No one would be held hostage, no one would be forced to stay beyond their will.

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Yet after selling Turan to Barcelona in 2015, no one else wants to leave. Those who remain buy into the methodology of Diego Simeone and the direction in which he wants to take them. No longer is a move elsewhere seen as a step up, despite some sides possessing a vast history of successes, and most believe their ambitions can be achieved with Los Colchoneros.

After twice having their hearts broken in Champions League finals, to their city rivals Real no less, it would’ve been expected that certain members of the squad would ask for a move away. It isn’t easy to come back from something like that. Mentally it can scar you, perhaps force people to question whether they – or the club – are cursed. Superstitions and feelings are commonplace in football after all.

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Simeone said in a recent interview that “Any side which had lost two Champions League finals, almost consecutively, would’ve dropped off but we continue on, fighting.” And he’s right, most sides would’ve dropped off and felt sorry for themselves but not this one.

Although on a separate note we shouldn’t ignore Valencia who did come back from two consecutive Champions League final defeats to win two LaLiga titles and the UEFA Cup. But they, like Atletico, were no ordinary side.

You can win all the titles in the world but if you continue to sell your best players, or your best players want to leave, you can’t really consider yourself amongst the elite. Some have attained this status due to the incredible wealth at their disposal, others due to success, and the majority due to a mixture of the two. Atletico are unique in that they fit into neither of those categories but can certainly consider themselves part of the group.

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The club are hopeful that a move to a new, larger stadium will help them approach the wealthiest sides in the sport. It’s a gamble, of course it is, but one they saw as necessary if they were to continue their battle amongst the best. No one wants to be caught standing still. Money can make players happy but ultimately it’s success they crave – and if a club doesn’t appear to be moving forward then it’s time to jump to one that is.

Manchester United have hardly made their interest in Antoine Griezmann a secret. He was immediately identified as the man to lead the line long-term – and short-term alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Everyone knows money isn’t an issue for the English giants as they continue to rebuild in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Internally they hoped that Paul Pogba, their last big money purchase, would be able to convince his good friend to join him in Manchester. It was also believed Griezmann would jump at the chance to try his hand in the Premier League, a competition he admittedly follows.

Yet that isn’t the case.

The ability to say ‘no’ to one of the biggest teams in the world is the first step in the right direction as to sell a key asset to a rival is essentially throwing in the towel. Atletico’s stance impressed Griezmann, who is aware of his growing reputation in the game and the interest in his signature, but the truth was the Frenchman doesn’t want to leave Atletico Madrid. He loves it there.

There are very few sides Griezmann would swap Atletico for. Three in fact, but two of them are practically impossible. Real Madrid and Barcelona are immediately cast aside due to Atletico not wanting to strengthen a fellow title challenger. In the case of Madrid, there’s a pact between the two clubs which prohibits players from joining the other. The third side is Bayern Munich, but perhaps the timing isn’t quite right. Not yet anyway.

Griezmann loves Spain. He loves the weather, the lifestyle, the language and is very settled over here. He moved to San Sebastian to join Real Sociedad’s youth academy in 2005 and hasn’t looked back since. “There’s lots of sun [here]. I need it to be happy in my private life and to perform as I do out on the pitch – it’s all related.”

And while he’s confident of his own ability, he’s also someone that values the team over individual achievements. “I’d prefer to win the World Cup or the Euros and never win a Ballon d’Or, for example.” He’s also extremely proud to represent his country and would rather win the World Cup than the Champions League if he had to choose. I’m not sure many fans would say the same these days though.

The news coming out of Spain is that Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal to bring Alexandre Lacazette to the club in the summer. Griezmann was said to have played a part in the deal, recommending the Lyon man as someone who could strengthen their forward line.

The end of the 2017/18 season is arguably the key moment for this Atletico era. If, as expected, Diego Simeone leaves then it’ll take a major managerial appointment to keep certain members of the squad happy. For many, Simeone is Atletico. The move to the new stadium will also be important as it should, along with the increased TV revenue, allow them to compete to sign star players of other teams.

The fact Griezmann wouldn’t even consider a move to Manchester United this summer is a testament to the club’s standing in world football right now. Selling him would admit defeat in their belief to challenge at the top of every competition available to them – and one thing this Atletico team doesn’t lack is belief.

“Atletico is an elite team and I don’t believe he’ll think about leaving in the summer. Loyalty is important to Griezmann – if he already plays in an elite side, why leave?” was what Jean-Pierre Papin, a former Ballon d’Or winner said on Griezmann’s current situation.

Welcome to the elite, Atletico.