DOHA, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Although they will be on opposing sides when France and England go head-to-head in their World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday night, England defender Kieran Trippier and France forward Antoine Griezmann used to be 'barbecue buddies' together.
The pair coincided at Atletico Madrid, forming part of the team that won La Liga title in 2021, with Trippier explaining that as well as sharing a dressing room, they were also near neighbors.
"We lived in the same area and spent a lot of time together off the pitch," said Trippier in an interview with the BBC.
"It was like a big family. He helped me with the language and was really important to me," he said, adding that Atletico coach Diego Simeone helped to foster close relations between players.
"The good thing is that every player would host and that closeness came from the manager. We would go round each other's houses as it was literally 10 seconds away," commented the defender.
Griezmann has gone slightly unnoticed in this World Cup, with all of the attention seemingly on Kylian Mbappe, but Trippier says it would be a huge error to underestimate the forward.
"He is so clever that he drifts and just picks up spaces. He has the individual quality to find a pass, score a goal and arrive in the box."
"Griezy is a fantastic player - and one we have to be aware of," he insisted. ■
