Griezmann called Alexis Sanchez a "coward" after Inter striker missed penalty

Atletico Madrid defeated Inter Milan on penalties in the last 16 of the Champions League. Kicks from 12 yards, especially when they take place in this context, always stir the players' spirits. Antoine Griezmann was proof of this when, after Alexis Sanchez's miss, he looked at Memphis Depay, who had scored the first spot-kick, and insulted the Chilean.

The Frenchman shouted "Coward! The Chilean is a coward! Coward!", as captured by the cameras of 'Movistar Liga de Campeones', who echoed what happened through their social networks. The affair has caused quite a bit of controversy among fans despite the fact that it all took place within a backdrop of galloping emotions. This is not to say that the gesture of the Frenchman is justified, and he may make a statement in the next few days to apologise.

There is no reason to think that there is any previous animosity between these two players, who have never met on the pitch as team-mates, but have met as rivals. When Cholo Simeone's pupil played for Real Sociedad, they met on five occasions with Simone Inzaghi's player. They met in 2011, 2013 and 2014. There was one win for the French striker, two for the former Arsenal man and a couple of draws in that stretch.

Since Alexis has played for Inter, they have faced each other on the same pitch three times: October 2019 - in the group stage of the 19-20 - and in this round of 16 tie, the one with the Griezmann insult. Beyond that, the only times when their names were read in the same headlines came with some market reports pointing to one or the other as a potential replacement for their counterpart in transfer windows when both looked likely to switch clubs.

 

March 13, 2024