French forward Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid saw his first opportunity to win gold in his “last dance” in Madrid fly away on Saturday in the final of the Copa del Rey, won on penalties (2-2, 4-3 pen) by Real Sociedad, his former club. It was surely not the exit he had hoped for: the French World Cup champion left the field in the 70th minute, head down and without the trophy he had come to seek at the age of 35, before leaving Madrid for good for Orlando in MLS.
Four days after the Colchoneros’ qualification for the Champions League semi-finals against FC Barcelona, the top scorer in the history of the rojiblanco club watched helplessly as his team lost on penalties (4-3) from the sideline.
A fourth trophy that is worth gold for Real Sociedad, currently 7th in La Liga and directly qualified for the Europa League before the end of a season that started by flirting with the relegation zone until the arrival of American Pellegrino Matarazzo as coach.
Griezmann’s dream scenario quickly turned into a nightmare, as early as the 14th second of the game, when Spanish international Ander Barrenetxea headed in a cross from former Parisian Gonçalo Guedes in the first action of the match to give the Basques the lead (1st, 1-0). The fastest goal in Copa del Rey final history, beating the previous record from 1952 held by former Valencia player Manuel Badenes.
Griezmann played a crucial role as a passer. Forced to attack, which he does much better than defending this season contrary to the sometimes rough style associated with Argentine coach Diego Simeone, Atletico seriously leaned to the left, thanks to Nigerian Ademola Lookman. But it was Griezmann’s vision, with a decisive pass to the former Atalanta striker, that resulted in a goal for the “Cholo” team, with a powerful left-footed shot from the edge of the box (19th, 1-1).
The match was more open than expected, and Real Sociedad proved to be the most enterprising for a long-awaited first trophy since 2020, but unable to beat Argentine goalkeeper Juan Musso, who stayed in goal despite the return of experienced Jan Oblak. The ex-Atalanta goalkeeper collided with Guedes unintentionally, offering Real a penalty, calmly converted by Basque captain Mikel Oyarzabal (45th, 2-1).
Without Lookman or Griezmann, substituted in the 62nd and 70th minutes, Argentine Julian Alvarez stepped up to equalize with a superb left-footed strike (83rd, 2-1), sending both teams into extra time, after missed opportunities from substitutes Alex Baena (87th) and Johnny Cardoso (90th+1).
Neither “God” nor “destiny,” invoked by Simeone before the match, were enough to properly reward Griezmann for the efforts made during their ten years of collaboration, marked by two disappointments in the Champions League final (2014, 2016). There may be a third one, at the end of May in Budapest, for the No. 7 to leave his beloved club as he should: on top.
