Antoine Griezmann, a striker for France and Atletico Madrid, has acknowledged that Didier Deschamps’ choice to name Kylian Mbappe captain of the France national team rather than him was “hard to stomach.”
Many experts predicted that Griezmann would succeed Hugo Lloris when the latter retired following the 2022 World Cup.
However, manager Didier Deschamps decided to award Mbappe the armband.
Griezmann was apparently caught off guard by the choice, which caused rifts in the locker room. After the rejection, reports started to surface that the Atletico Madrid forward may retire.
The former Barcelona striker now claims that the transfer affected him.
Griezmann remarked in a statement to Telefoot: “It was tough to accept. Although I still have my legs, I am 32 and am aware that I am nearing the end of my career.
“It took me a day or two to get used to it.”
Griezmann was not present for France’s 3-0 victory against Gibraltar in their Euro 2024 qualifying match, in which Mbappe recorded a goal while once again serving as captain.
However, the 32-year-old said he had nothing against his teammate, saying, “I’m entirely behind our captain Kylian. Nothing will change since that is who I am, so I won’t.
The Atletico forward is expected to reenter France’s starting lineup against Greece on Monday, June 19, in their upcoming European Championship qualifying match. With a perfect record through three games, Deschamps’ team leads Group B at the moment.
