Ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, the club that launched his LaLiga career, Atlético Madrid star Antoine Griezmann said he’s spending an emotional week soaking up his final moments with the team.
Atlético’s all-time leading goalscorer is set to join Orlando City at the end of the season.
“I’m soaking it all in and enjoying it a lot,” Griezmann said. “I’m excited, eager, and happy. I’m not thinking about whether this is my last final with Atleti. I’m just focused on the fact that it’s a very important match, a final that very few players get to experience.”
Griezmann, who leads Atleti in this Copa del Rey campaign with five goals, rose through the Real Sociedad academy before signing with Atlético in 2014.
“I’m trying not to think too much about [facing Real Sociedad] because I get very emotional, and I want to stay fresh for the match,” Griezmann explained. “But I owe them a lot. They opened doors for me that were closed in France.”
Atleti enters the final on a high after eliminating Barcelona on Tuesday to reach the Champions League semifinals. Coach Diego Simeone noted that his squad has recovered both mentally and physically, shifting their focus toward lifting their first trophy in five years.
“The Champions League win put us in a beautiful position, and that can lift you up, but now we are back down to earth,” Simeone said. “The earth is what counts. We are on the ground now, and we know the difficulties we are going to face.”
Real Sociedad is seeking a mild upset to secure the trophy under Pellegrino Matarazzo. The American coach boosted the Basque team’s performance when he took over in mid-season.
“Who would have thought after our first conversation that months later we’d be playing a final?” Matarazzo said.
“We don’t set limits. We use every day to build and improve. That has been our path from the very beginning.”
