The hugely talented Antoine Greizmann has been in blistering form for Real Sociedad this season. Due to this, he has put himself in a really good position for when it comes to selection for the World Cup. This campaign, the winger has managed to grab himself 16 goals in 31 apperances and has created 32 chances for his team and is a relaible source if you are looking for a decent cross, pass or shot from a wide man. December 31st saw his internaional ban lifted and he is now available for selection. He has given himself a very strong chance of being allowed back into the French squad, especially knowing that France are having difficulties finding the right amount of forward players who can score goals fluently.
Greizmann's ban came after something that could of been easily prevented and didn't even need to happen, he and fellow French U-21 teammates Yann M’Vila, Wissam Ben Yedder, M’baye Niang and Chris Mavinga decided to head to a Paris nightclub from the team’s base in Le Havre via taxi on October the 13th 2012. This trip saw the footballer's break the team curfew. The 'party' came just ahead of their second leg European Under 21 Qualifying match against Norway, which was lost 5-3, and saw the team fail to qualify for the tournament by losing 5-4 on aggregate.
The French FA punished 4 of the youngsters, including Griezmann, with a 14 month ban, and handed M’Vila a further 6 months after having already received a previous warning (M’Vila’s ban has since been reduced by 4 months on appeal). Whilst there was a 48 hour gap between the antics and the match, their actions were looked down upon by the French Federation, with coach Erick Mombaerts also losing his job amidst the fallout.
Since the saga, Griezmann has greatly impressed with some eye-catching performances for Real Sociedad, which under normal circumstances would’ve surely earned him a French call-up. In combination with Carlos Vela, their terrific displays have helped bounce Real Sociedad to a fourth placed finish, which in turn, secured Champions League football.
When watching Griezmann, immediately noticeable are his pace, skill, eye for goal, and directness. His versatility adds another string to his bow, as he is regularly seen switching positions throughout the course of Sociedad’s matches.
His outstanding displays in La Liga, which now see him sitting equal third in the Pichichi race after netting another against Granada in his last match, have obviously alerted the attention of French national team manger Didier Deschamps, as he was recently quoted as saying “He is decisive. He is setting up a lot of goals and is scoring also. At the end of his suspension, he is likely to be a player to join the French squad.”
With all this in mind and Griezmann’s troubles now behind him, it would be almost impossible for France not to select him in their next squad. Amazingly, Griezmann has scored 16 goals this season, which is more than any other Frenchman in the major leagues in Europe and with France's well documented goalscoring trouble, he could well be the ideal man to give them a much needed lift in the final third.