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Hamburg, Germany: It’s one of international football’s oldest and most successful partnerships, but Didier Deschamps’ reliance on Antoine Griezmann could be coming to an end as France forge a new path at the European Championships.
The vice-captain lost his place in the final group game against Poland and there is no guarantee he will regain it for Monday’s round of 16 clash against Belgium in Dusseldorf.
It would have seemed unthinkable a few months ago, but Griezmann’s form has plummeted and Deschamps’ reliance on his ability to play a number of different roles in the team is coming to an end.
Asked to explain the absence many pundits had predicted would come, Deschamps told reporters: “This is the choice I took.”
The French coach chose to use pace against Poland’s more physical side and may stick with the same idea against Belgium’s back four, leaving Griezmann sidelined once again as the tournament enters the knockout stages.
Before being dropped, the 33-year-old had broken Lilian Thuram’s record of 32 World Cup and European Championship appearances – the most by a non-player for France.
In fact, since making his debut for the French national team in 2014, he has never missed a match for the French national team in either of its major tournaments.
He played in all of Didier Deschamps’ seasons as France head coach and set a record of 84 consecutive appearances with the national team until injury ended it in March.
As the link between the midfield and the front line, he plays multiple roles for his head coach on and off the pitch, something Deschamps seems to cherish.
“He’s the kind of player who can really make a difference to a team because he works so hard and he’s so technically proficient,” the coach said earlier this year.
“Of course, his main job is not to win the ball; he has a great left foot and he creates great chances for others.
“He always puts the interests of the team first. He works very hard, probably harder than most players.”
But it is clear that his shine has faded, especially in Group D games against Austria and the Netherlands, where Griezmann struggled.
His stats aren’t much to read about either.
Although Griezmann’s offensive performance is not as prominent as when he was at Atletico Madrid, he has scored 2 goals in his last 31 games for the national team, a ratio far from his total goal tally of 44 goals in 132 international games.
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