France scored immediately before the crowd paid homage to the Netherlands great, and the Atletico Madrid striker said the timing was a little awkward
Antoine Griezmann has admitted that he found the minute's applause for Johan Cruyff in the midst of France's friendly with France claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Dutch in the Amsterdam Arena, on an evening upon which tributes were paid to the Netherlands great, who passed away on Thursday.
In the 14th minute, matching the number Cruyff played in for the Netherlands, the crowd gave a minute of applause, yet it was made rather awkward for the French, who were walking back to the halfway line after Olivier Giroud gave them a 2-0 lead.
"It was a lovely homage, really strong," he said after the game. "That it followed just after the goal was a little strange, but we quickly realised which minute it was and I clapped."
Griezmann opened the scoring with a fine free kick, and he was pleased to have contributed in that manner.
"I had already scored one last week with Atletico Madrid, so I had confidence. It was in a good area of the pitch for a left footer. I saw the goalkeeper in the middle of his goal, so I shot the other way," he said.
It was Griezmann’s 25th appearance for France, and his goal was his seventh for his country.
- Goal