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Cape Town - Atletico
Madrid star Antoine Griezmann has backed Juventus to win the Champions
League title and Gianluigi Buffon to bag the Ballon d’Or.
Griezmann and Atletico have lost two Champions League finals to cross town rivals Real Madrid in recent years. Madrid now have the chance of retaining their title, but to do that, they must defeat Italian champions Juventus in Cardiff.
“Juventus will win the Champions League and therefore Gigi Buffon the Ballon d’Or,” Griezman told Cadena Ser’s El Larguero.
Having reached and lost in the final in 2014 and 2016, Griezmann was aware of what losing at the last hurdle felt like.
“[Finals] hurt more than semis. Because you think you’re going to raise the trophy, you make moves with your people… then you lose and its very hard,” said the 26-year-old Frenchman whose side were eliminated in the semi-finals this season.
“We did not win titles, which is what we wanted,” he added. “We fulfilled an objective, third, we did a great job. Pity about the semis.”
Their third place in La Liga this season guarantees Atletico another shot at European club football’s biggest prize next term.
