Hands behind back. Chin up. A smile if you dare.
This is standard procedure for players as they listen to the iconic Champions League music before kick-off, but Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann went against the norm to win our hearts. Check this out.
Rather than look at the packed out Wanda Metropolitano ahead of their clash against Monaco, the World Cup winner tied the shoelaces of his young mascot, who looked absolutely delighted to be there. Who wouldn't be?
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Don't wash these shoelaces ever again, kid.
Griezmann went on to score against Monaco, as Diego Simeone's side went on to pick up all three points in their Group A tie, with Koke's goal in the second minute giving them the advantage early on.
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The French forward has once again been in scintillating form this season, and his manager doesn't think that the Ballon d'Or should go to Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, for the first time in 10 years, but instead to his own player.
Monday could, and probably should, see the end of an era in football. For the first time in a decade the man who wins the Ballon d'Or may well not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
For the past 10 years the pair have dominated world football, picking up pretty much every team and individual award and breaking all sorts of records. They have 10 Ballon d'Ors between them, sharing them fairly with five each.
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Having missed out at this year's FIFA The Best Awards, it looks likely that someone else's name will also be on the Ballon d'Or, when it's handed out on Monday, for the first time since Kaka won it.
Luka Modric won FIFA's award after helping Real Madrid to their third Champions League win in a row and getting Croatia to the final of the World Cup.
However Diego Simeone believes that Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann should win it, after helping France win the World Cup. Talking, via the Express, the Atleti manager said:
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"We can safely say that Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Lionel Messi are the best footballers in the world. But not in this 2018. At this lap Antoine was superior to everyone, nobody did what he did for his teams.
"When a footballer makes sure that the whole team can work based on his brain, it has an incalculable value."
Explaining how important the French forward was to the country's World Cup win in Russia Simeone added:
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"France plays thanks to his intelligence, when he is well physically and mentally, there is no player in the world who know how to see and play football like he does," he added.
"And even looking beyond the titles he won this season, the World Cup, the Europa League and the European Super Cup, there was no soccer player who was more important to the team than Griezmann."
Does he deserve to win the coveted prize?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit:Topics:Β Football News, Football, Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann, Monaco, Champions League
