IT must be the first time Antoine Griezmann has been compared to John Terry and David Beckham.
And it’s a surprisingly painful experience the Atletico Madrid legend will hope not to repeat.
The France striker slipped when taking a penalty in Thursday’s home Copa del Rey quarter-final against Sevilla.
Griezmann slid over a split-second after making contact with the ball as he skied his left-footed effort over.
And fans immediately noticed the similarity to famous spot-kick misses by two members of England’s golden generation.
Terry’s penalty woe could hardly have come at a worse time nor looked more undignified.
READ MORE TOP STORIES
He ended up on his backside holding his head in despair after blowing a shootout kick that could have won the Champions League for Chelsea in 2008.
Instead, Manchester United went on to win 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
In contrast, Beckham’s tumble was far less costly.
It meant England had to settle for a 0-0 Euro qualifying draw away to Turkey in 2004 – but they still qualified comfortably for the finals.
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
One viewer said of Griezmann: “Bro have been watching John Terry so far.”
Other fans took the same path – on a trip-over down memory lane.
Such observations included: “John Terry vibes” … “I’ll never forget John Terry” and “Beckham style”.
But another viewer oiled the wheels of an escape route for Atletico’s ex-Barcelona man.
He posted: “Maybe there was ‘Griez’ on the field making it slippery.”
And a further fan hatched a bizarre theory after noting how late the 32-year-old seemed to slide.
The super-sceptical viewer claimed: “Looks like he intentionally fell after missing the kick.”
Fortunately for Griezmann, Atletico winger Memphis Depay later pounced for the only goal of the game on 79 minutes.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
