France coach welcomes Griezmann decision to stay at Atletico

Kazan (Russia), June 15 (IANS) France's coach Didier Deschamps on Friday welcomed the decision of forward Antoine Griezmann to stay at Atletico Madrid, noting that the step is great news for both the La Liga side and the French national football team.

Griezmann revealed on Thursday that he had rejected Barcelona's offer and would continue to play with Atletico until 2022, reports Efe.

Asked by Efe at a press conference, Deschamps said: "Griezmann's decision is good because it shows (Griezmann's) loyalty to Atletico and is a positive step for France since he will not be preoccupied with thoughts of possible moves to any new clubs during the 2018 World Cup."

France, which is set to compete in Group C along with Peru, Australia and Denmark, will debut in the 2018 World Cup in Russia against the Australian side on Saturday.

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