Why Antoine Griezmann Will Wear Uruguay Flag On His Boots vs. Uruguay

Antoine Griezmann has always been vocal about his respect for Uruguay.

In fact, moments after winning the World Cup, he conducted his post-match press conference with a Uruguay flag draped around his shoulders.

Before beating Croatia in the final and Belgium in the semi's, France had to negotiate a tie against La Celeste and in that match, Griezmann bagged a goal as his side secured a spot in the next round.

Following his long range strike, where Fernando Muslera fumbled the ball into his own net, he refused to celebrate because of the deep-rooted respect he has for the nation.

Months after the win, Griezmann will come up against Uruguay again in an international friendly, and he's got something special planned for the event.

The Atletico Madrid forward will wear half Uruguay and half France boots for the match out of respect for the opposition.

Back in July, the player explained the reason behind his admiration for the country:

"I didn't celebrate because when I started as a professional I was supported by a Uruguayan who taught me the good and the bad in football and I have a lot of respect for Uruguay," he said.

"I was also playing against friends, so I thought it was normal not to celebrate."

He later compared Uruguay to his club side, Atletico Madrid, in a touching gesture.

"They're a tough team, like Atletico Madrid. Everyone works hard in attack and defence. It's something I see day in day out and I love Uruguayans and Uruguayan culture, so I have a lot of respect for them."

Respect.

Topics: Football News, Football, Antoine Griezmann, France, Uruguay

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare is a writer at SPORTbible. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pele, Carles Puyol and Tim Henman. He dabbles in all things sport but football is his biggest passion. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale.

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