Euro 2016: Antoine Griezmann reveals inspiration behind his goal celebration

The attacks began at the Stade de France where suicide bombers detonated devices after failing to force their way into France’s match against Germany. We had the best possible conditions in Evian.

Following his brace in the semi-final victory over Germany at the European Championship, France’s new poster boy Antoine Griezmann admitted that he and his team-mates feel a responsibility to bring joy back to the nation after the terror attacks in Paris last November.

With all that’s happened to the city, suffering through tragic events, to get a chance to win a championship for the people, it would be a ideal ending.

“But we’re even prouder to be on the pitch, to really feel the entire French population behind us, to feel this happiness which is really shared between the players and the French people”.

“It feels unusual because nobody recognises me here, while in Spain when I go to town all the people I meet ask for a picture or an autograph”, said Griezmann, who scored on his U19 debut against Ukraine as well as his first Sociedad start.

“It was our duty to win the matches, to try and entertain the French people and try and go all the way in this tournament”.

The French people really need to escape via this competition.

“We’re very happy. We can start dreaming of 10 July”.

“We have climbed back up the slope, we have done it step by step. It’s certainly the hardest one, but it’s well worth it to finish in a good way”.

Portugal have featured in the final of a major event only once before, when they lost 1-0 to Greece in the title match of the 2004 European Championship on home soil, with a 19-year-old Ronaldo in their team.

Griezmann gave Les Bleus the lead from the spot after Germany boss Bastian Schweinsteiger was announced to have dealt with penalty area on the stroke of half time. We brought French football to its lowest point. “We went through a crisis in French football but we have overcome it”, says Lloris.

“We haven’t only had easy games”.

The players refused to train at their Knysna training base in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka’s expulsion from the squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and the team were eliminated in the first round.

“It is a great honour to welcome one of the most popular cyclists of our time in our team”, Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk said in a statement.

“It took a long time but building a team takes years and time and experience are things you just can’t buy”, Lloris said.

“It is a unique opportunity in a player’s career”.

“Our minds will guide us (on Sunday) in our efforts”.

Funnily, an employee at the French Cultural Centre in Oman said that they have not planned any event on the occasion as they did not expect reaching this late stage of the tournament.

That in of itself, is a win-win, in all honesty.

Once the Euros have concluded, Tottenham will be able to have all of their players return to their pre-season training program.