Why French hero wore a Uruguay flag to press conference
Antoine Griezmann became a true hero in France after helping Les Bleus clinch their second World Cup crown – but he chose a rather strange way to mark the occasion.
Rather than flying the French flag for the cameras, Griezmann arrived draped in a Uruguay flag, much to the surprise of the waiting journalists.
It was the second show of respect Griezmann made towards the South American country after his refusal to celebrate is goal against them earlier in the tournament.
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For those wondering, Griezmann wore a Uruguay flag:
▪️His mentors were 🇺🇾 Martin Lasarte (manager) and Carlos Bueno (player)
▪️Active supporter of Uruguay (often tweets during games)
▪️Close friends with Diego Godin & Josema Gimenez. pic.twitter.com/QCZc3bWKHj— Uruguay Football ENG 🇺🇾 (@UruFootballEN) July 15, 2018
Griezmann said it was due to his affiliation with Uruguay, both as a player and as a friend.
“I didn’t celebrate because when I started as a professional I was supported by a Uruguayan who taught me the good and the bad in football,” Griezmann said.
“I have a lot of respect for Uruguay. I was also playing against friends, so I thought it was normal not to celebrate.
“It’s something I see day in day out and I love Uruguayans and Uruguayan culture.”
Uruguay do indeed have some clear links to Aletico Madrid as Griezmann’s team-mates Diego Godin and Josema Gimenez both play for the country.
Griezmann’s Uruguayan coaching mentors are manager Martin Lasarte and striker Carlos Bueno.
The superstar Atletico Madrid forward netted a penalty in his side’s 4-2 triumph over Croatia in Moscow to secure the trophy at the Luznikhi Stadium.
He was in tears at full-time as he collected his medal before composing himself to carry out his media duties with a post-match press conference inside the Russian stadium.
with Yahoo Sports UK.