Griezmann into top ten of Atlético's European scorers
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
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Antoine Griezmann has struck his tenth and 11th European goals for Atlético and is now in some esteemed company – Sergio Agüero leads the way but who else is on the list?
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Antoine Griezmann's goals against Rostov have moved him into Atlético's all-time top ten European scorers. In the Spanish Liga, meanwhile, he is on 50having this season surpassed his boyhood idol Kiko's tally of 48. He has a way to go to match the late Luis Aragonés's club record of 173 in all competitions, but in European terms the summit is in sight.
20 goals: Sergio Agüero (2006–11)
Agüero arrived at the Vicente Calderón as an 18-year-old wonderkid and left as one of Europe's most potent finishers, going from strength to strength at new club Manchester City. "Sergio is one of the best, no doubt about that," said City manager Josep Guardiola in September. "He has a special quality in the box; he's a special player."
19: Luis Aragonés (1964–74)
Aragonés is a club legend who was with Atlético for a decade as a player, scoring in the 1974 European Champion Clubs' Cup final, before four spells as a coach. He coined the phrase 'Ganar y ganar y ganar y volver a ganar, eso es el fútbol' (win, win, win and win again, that's football). Passed away in 2014 having also led Spain to UEFA EURO 2008 glory and his name is still frequently sung at the Calderón.
17: Mendonça (1958–67)
The striker spent nine seasons at Atlético and perhaps most famously netted the second goal in the 1962 European Cup Winners' Cup final replay as Atlético swept Fiorentina aside 3-0. He went on to play for Barcelona and Real Mallorca before hanging up his boots in 1970.
16: Radamel Falcao (2011–13)
Described in 2012 by Diego Simeone as the best striker he has worked with, Falcao was brought to the club to help fill the void left by the departures of Agüero and Forlán. El Tigre scored twice in the final as Atlético secured UEFA Europa League victory in 2012 and netted a hat-trick in their 4-1 UEFA Super Cup triumph over Chelsea a few months later. "I've known Radamel since he was a boy," said Simeone. "I love him as a person. There's no ceiling to his ambition."
16: Diego Forlán (2007–11)
The Uruguayan international formed a formidable partnership with Agüero. He won the European Golden Boot in 2009 and was named man of the match as he scored both goals in the club's 2010 UEFA Europa League triumph. "The experience at Atlético has been incredible," he said upon leaving for Internazionale in 2011. "I leave as an Atletico fan. These people will remain in my heart."
13: Adrián López (2011–14)
A man for the European occasion. He started the 2012 UEFA Europa League final victory over Athletic and then scored perhaps his most important goal for the club to level the scores on the stroke of half-time in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea in 2014.
12: Joaquín Peiró (1954–62, 1970–71)
Made 340 appearances for the club and was an integral part of Atlético's 1962 European Cup Winners' Cup-winning team, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina in the final as well as in the 3-0 replay victory. "Winning the Cup Winners' Cup is one of the most important moments in the club's history," he said. Also had a brief spell as coach in 1990.
12: Enrique Collar (1952–69)
A left-footed wide man, Collar spent 15 seasons as part of the Atlético first team and is the club's second-highest appearance holder with 388. "One of the best moments I had as a player was to win the [1962] Cup Winners' Cup," he said. "I've got a great memory of that trophy as it gave a lot of prestige to the club."
11: Diego Costa (2007–09, 2010–14)
The Spanish international was a key piece of the jigsaw when Atlético won the Liga in 2013/14, scoring 27 times, and was also pivotal during the run to the 2014 UEFA Champions League final. "I'll always be thankful to the players who give me their all and that's exactly what he has done with us," was said Simeone when the player left for Chelsea in 2014.
11: Antoine Griezmann (2014–)
"For me he was the best player in Europe last season," said Simeone in September. Since arriving in summer 2014 for €35m, the No7 has become an integral part of Atlético's frontline and helped them reach last season's UEFA Champions League final with a double against Barcelona in the quarter-finals and the away goal against Bayern München in the semis.
10: Raúl García (2007–15)
"I'm so proud of everything I achieved at Atlético," an emotional García said as he left for Athletic last summer. Until recently he was the club's record UEFA Champions League appearance holder with 35, and won six trophies with the club.
10: Rubén Ayala (1973–79)
The Argentinian was nicknamed 'The mouse' because of his diminutive frame and was part of the Atlético side that reached the 1974 European Cup final. While not achieving glory on that occasion, he did lift the Intercontinental Cup, the Copa del Rey and Liga with the club.
10: Adelardo (1959–76)
His 511 appearances for the Rojiblancos remain a club record and came over an incredible 17 seasons. "It's hard to choose a best moment from my time at the club because there were so many, like winning the Liga, but winning the Intercontinental Cup, the biggest trophy there is, was the outstanding moment," he said.