'Talent has no age' – Simeone lauds Griezmann after 200th Atletico goal
Antoine Griezmann hit another landmark goal for Atletico Madrid as they crushed Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Diego Simeone declared "talent has no age" after watching Antoine Griezmann score his 200th goal for Atletico Madrid in Tuesday's 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Having lost their Champions League opener 3-2 at Liverpool, Atleti got their European campaign up and running at the Estadio Metropolitano on matchday two.
Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand, Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez joined Griezmann on the scoresheet as Atleti passed 200 goals in the Champions League, finishing the match on 204.
They are the 17th side to reach that milestone and the third from Spain, after Real Madrid and Barcelona. Only England (five) have had more clubs reach that figure.
The 34-year-old now has a double century of goals for Los Colchoneros, netting at least 28 more than any other player in the club's history, with Luis Aragones on 172.
"I am grateful to Antoine and his time at Atletico Madrid, without even mentioning his 200 goals," Simeone told reporters afterwards.
"I remember when he arrived as a short winger who played on the left. We encouraged him to exploit his best qualities – speed, heading, his left foot, his one-on-one talent.
"He grew to play in that position at the World Cup and become a world champion [with France in 2018].
"He was always a role model in everything, from his effort and work ethic to the joy he brought to the team.
"Today, our fans' appreciation is well deserved for what Antoine gives us. Talent has no age."
Atleti have now scored 13 goals in the space of a week, having also beaten Rayo Vallecano 3-2 and Real Madrid 5-2 in LaLiga.
Having started the season slowly, Simeone's team are fifth in LaLiga and visit struggling Celta Vigo before the international break, and the Argentine still sees room for improvement.
"Scoring goals gives you more confidence and earns you points. The team has found a way to score in these matches," he said.
"I think we are improving in some situations defensively and growing offensively. The team can still aspire to improve, and we need to do so with humility, faith and teamwork."
