Football : Antoine Griezmann annonce la fin de sa carrière en équipe de France • FRANCE 24

The world champion, Antoine Griezmann, has decided to retire. Retirement at Les Bleus after 10 incredible years, marked by challenges, successes and unforgettable moments. It's time for me to turn a page and give way to the new generation. Wearing this jersey will be an honour and a privilege. Here I am for these few words posted on his account X. This morning, we will try to go further with you. Adel Benta, hello, you are a football journalist. Perhaps a word on this announcement, which is quite unexpected today. Hello. Yes, yes, unexpected, yes, because it happens at a time a little ... I want to say banal. There was no real symbolism behind this announcement. But it still felt like the end of the adventure for Antoine Griezmann. For a few months now, he has expressed his laziness on his last media appearances. It's always special because, as Didier Deschamps said, as Philippe Diallo said, it's really a legend of the French team and French football that ends his career at Les Bleus. So yes, it's always a little weird. We will come back to these statistics, obviously very good. But perhaps a word on the reasons for this departure. Antoine Griezmann, whom we are always ready to serve the collective. Chouchou also from Didier Deschamps. However, since March 2023, the captain's armband given to Kylian Mbappé, we felt their relationship started, or in any case more complicated for him. Does this decision partly explain this? Yes, yes, clearly. This armband affair was the turning point in Antoine Griezmann's career in the French team. We knew that Griezmann was heading towards the end of his career, but that it would end up a bit, in quotation marks, again, in the dark. It hurts a little. But it's true that even this armband affair was unexpected. After Hugo Lloris, a lot of people expected Antoine Griezmann to legally recover the armband in view of his age in the French team. Finally, Didier Deschamps and his staff privileged Kylian Mbappé. It is certain that there is a feeling of devaluation in Antoine Griezmann, who created this break and perhaps preceded his end of his career in the blue. While Didier Deschamps gives his list this Thursday for the next international break. Obviously, the time of the assessment for Antoine Griezmann, a great loss for the Blues today. A great loss at all levels. It is a technical loss since Griezmann is the last French number 10. I don't know if we will find a player of this quality before several years. And also a loss in terms of symbolism, since he was a real leader in the French team's locker room. That's why he was also affected by this loss of the captain's armband. So yes, it's a loss at all levels, whether at the human level, since he was led by the new generation. He really led this new generation in view of his experience. And of course, technical, since the Blues are losing their point of fixation on the field. Who will end his career with the Blues only, because he will now be able to devote himself entirely to his Atletico club. That's right, exactly. He will be able to devote himself to his career in the club. Antoine Griezmann, we remind you, is a single title. If I'm not mistaken, in the club, it's the Europa League won in 2018. So the trophy armband is a bit empty on the club side. He signed for FC Barcelona precisely to try to fill it. It didn't work out. So we wish him to end his global career in the club with at least an additional trophy. It would be really nice, since in the French team he won everything except the Euro. Thank you very much for being on our side to comment on this retirement departure. Departure of the French team. Thank you very much.