By now, every football fan or any sports fanatic should know who Antoine Griezmann is.
The man who led his team to World Cup glory in 2018 and the one who has 3 kids who were born in the same month but in different years.
Yes, Griezmann has been in trends for many positives but between those funny and defining moments, he hasn't always had everything going his way.
In 2018, Griezmann's performance for both club and country earned him a 3rd place spot in the Balon d'Or nomination list, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and eventual winner Luka Modric.
What made this more perplexing was the fact that he was placed above Lionel Messi, who was placed 4th on the list.
In the summer of 2019, Griezmann was sought out by different clubs, including Barcelona, who, after a lot of turnarounds with Griezmann and Atletico Madrid, managed to secure the signature of the Frenchman.
Leaving Atletico Madrid for Barcelona seemed like a big move for him, considering the amount of money that was paid for his services, but unfortunately, his 3-year stay at the club was short, and uninspiring.
After a remarkable debut against Real Betis, he failed to show the promises that were expected from him.
He couldn't replicate his Real Sociedad or Atletico Madrid form and just couldn't fit into the system of the team.
His main position, which is at right wing, was occupied by Messi, and so he was put in different places, such as left-wing and center forward but he couldn't click well at any position.
By the end of the season, he finished with 13 goals and 5 assists in all competitions, which is bad when you check out his previous year's stats, where he bagged 15 goals in the league for ATM, which is already 2 better than his first overall season for La Masia.
After a disappointing campaign, he had to pick form in the 2020/2021 season, which for a while looked like he had finally done it, but his performances were lackluster and were not up to the standards Barcelona expected.
Inevitably, he was branded a "flop" for the team and the club was now looking for ways to offload him.
In this season, his former team Atletico Madrid won the La Liga title, adding more salt to his wounds.
In the second half of the 2021/2022 season, Greizmann was loaned out on a 2-year deal to ATM, as they needed his services once again.
There, he began to show glimpses of his previous self, as his finishing and timed passes became efficient once again.
In the 2021/2022 season, everything began to click once again after another excellent performance for France, this time in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he was one of the best players not just in the team but in the competition, earning his place in the team of the year again for the second time in a roll.
After that however, he became a changed man in the ATM Squad, as he made contributions and delivered every time, contributing a total of 31 goal contributions (15 goals, 16 assists) in 38 appearances in the league alone.
His performances made him La Liga Player of the Year and also finished with the most assists in the league.
But also in that same season, Barcelona won the La Liga and because he didn't play a single minute in that season for them, he didn't get a winner's medal.
After a lot of back and forth between the two clubs, ATM finally reached an agreement with Barca to purchase him once again and so far so good, he hasn't looked back.
Griezmann made a total of 103 appearances for Barcelona and scored a mere 31 goals, a downgrade for him but the loan move proved to be a blessing in disguise for him, as he managed to regain his lost form and even went on to impress more than expected.
I think there is a valuable lesson here to learn.
It is never over until it truly is, and sometimes, reigniting a friendship with your ex isn't always bad.
Or is it? Only time will tell.
Thank you for your time.
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