French team: Ibrahima Konaté pays vibrant tribute to Antoine Griezmann

A huge page of the French team closed a few days ago. This could even be a chapter as Antoine Griezmann’s passage to the French team will have been significant. Selected for the first time in 2014 by Didier Deschamps, the native of Mâcon was the cornerstone of the DD system for a decade. Ten years of glory during which the Blues won a World Cup and a Nations League. During each of the great epics of the France team, Grizou will have been preponderant. Obviously, his absence risks being felt for the next deadlines.

The end of a cycle for the Blues who have already lost Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane and Olivier Giroud in recent months. For the 33-year-old playmaker, there is still a rather bitter taste with this international retirement. Indeed, absolute legend of the French team, the Atlético de Madrid player made this decision to everyone’s surprise and was not able to benefit from a tribute worthy of the mark he made. left with the tricolor selection. On this point, several other great Blues players have paid tribute to him, but it will never really be enough.

Ibrahima Konaté did not believe Antoine Griezmann’s announcement

A rather cruel ending which remains in the throat of several observers, but also among certain players. Present this Tuesday at a press conference, Ibrahima Konaté is one of those who regrets this hasty departure of the legend Griezmann: “he was a typical example of a leader. He would have liked to have the armband but he never showed that he was sad. The relationship he had with Kylian, he called him captain in front of us. He is a true leader and with everything he did for France, he deserved an extraordinary farewell. I don’t know if he’s planning anything next. Everyone would have preferred to know about it during the last gathering to give him a proper farewell. I was too surprised, I didn’t want to comment on his social networks, I said to myself: “it can’t end like that.” I hope we will have the opportunity to give him a proper goodbye because he totally deserves it.»

After this quite touching sequence where Konaté paid tribute to one of the former leaders of the France team, the Liverpool defender returned to his role to prepare for the future as best as possible. Thus, the 25-year-old defender knows that he will be instrumental in ensuring the transition in the best possible way, as he recently experienced with the Reds: “It’s a new era, especially with the announcement of Griezmann’s departure, it’s shaking the hearts of the French. It’s part of football and I experienced it with Klopp. It’s up to us to adapt to this and do better. There was Griezmann, but we must not forget those who left before, Giroud, Varane, Lloris, Mandanda… It is up to us to be new leaders and to take advantage of the present moment. After the emotion, we will therefore have to build without Griezmann in the French team.