Jeered Griezmann endures awkward Atletico return

With Antoine Griezmann loudly jeered by the home fans, Atletico Madrid couldn't manage more than a 0-0 draw against Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Griezmann, playing his first home match for Atletico since returning from a two-season stint with Barcelona, came off the bench in the second half but couldn't spark the host to victory. He was booed before kickoff and when he came onto the field, with most in the crowd at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium expressing their discontentment with how the France forward left the club.

Many fans applauded Griezmann but they were not nearly as loud as those who protested. Griezmann played five seasons with Atletico before leaving when Barcelona paid 120 million euros ($141 million) for him.

"Everyone is making a big deal out of this situation," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. "Hopefully he will keep improving so he can answer those who are criticizing him now. He has a challenge ahead of him because of what happened in the past."

AFP