Griezmann dares to dream of trophy-laden farewell, as Atletico ousts Barca

MADRID — Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is daring to dream of a fairytale finale to his time with the Rojiblancos after they survived a fierce Barcelona fightback to reach their first Champions League semifinal in nine years on Tuesday.

A 2-1 home defeat was enough for Diego Simeone's side to progress 3-2 on aggregate, the Metropolitano crowd exhaling at the final whistle as Atletico edged into the last four.

For Griezmann, 35, it was a night thick with emotion.

The Frenchman has already announced he will leave the club at the end of the season to join MLS side Orlando City, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable spell in Madrid.

A World Cup winner with France in 2018, Griezmann first arrived at Atletico from Real Sociedad in 2014.

He departed for Barcelona in 2019 before returning three years later, rebuilding his bond with supporters and becoming one of the enduring faces of Simeone's 15-year project.

His numbers underline that impact: 211 goals and 97 assists, making him Atletico's all-time leading scorer.

Yet silverware has been scarce. The 2018 Europa League remains the only major trophy in his time with the Rojiblancos, leaving this campaign as his final opportunity to sign off with something special.

Atletico will face either Arsenal or Sporting in the semifinals, with the London side leading 1-0 ahead of Wednesday's second leg. Atletico is now two matches away from a first Champions League final in a decade.

"I'm very happy," Griezmann told reporters. "It doesn't matter who we face, as long as we're still in it, and as long as we're on top form right until the end. It's been a brilliant, but tough, tie against a top-class side who plays really well. It's been a struggle, but we're still in it."

In Spain, some silverware could come as soon as Saturday, with the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad in Seville, Griezmann's boyhood club, as Atletico chases its first domestic cup since 2013 and an end to a four-season wait for any title.

"It's going to be a great match, a tough one, so we'll need to get some rest. Now it's time to start thinking about Saturday. What a great feeling," Griezmann said.

"I hope I can help my teammates to do something beautiful this season, something historical. Our fans deserve it.

"After the match was over, I stayed on the pitch with them for several minutes, just enjoying the songs and the atmosphere, which was fantastic. Let's keep going."

Raphinha fumes

Barcelona forward Raphinha launched a scathing attack on the refereeing in the tie, as his side was knocked out having finished both legs with 10 men.

The Brazilian, sidelined through injury for both matches, accused referees Clement Turpin, who officiated the second game, and Istvan Kovacs, from the first, of "robbing" his team.

"As far as I'm concerned, it was a robbery, not just this match, but the other one as well," Raphinha said after Barca's 2-1 win on Tuesday was not enough.

"I think the refereeing is going really badly; the decisions he (Turpin) made were unbelievable ... I really want to understand why they're so afraid that Barcelona will come and win."

Broadcast images showed Raphinha repeatedly making a grabbing motion with his hands after the final whistle, a gesture commonly associated with "stealing".

"It was tough, especially when you realize you have to work three times as hard to win the match," Raphinha added.

"I think this tie was quite misleading, in my view. I think everyone can make mistakes; everyone is human. But when the mistakes keep repeating themselves in exactly the same way, I think that's something we need to pay attention to."

UEFA has yet to comment.

In last week's first leg, Kovacs sent off Pau Cubarsi in the 42nd minute after a VAR review for hauling down Giuliano Simeone as he raced clear on goal, upgrading an initial yellow card.

Atletico scored from the resulting freekick, with Julian Alvarez curling into the top right corner beyond the reach of Barca keeper Joan Garcia.

On Tuesday, Turpin followed a similar course, as Barca defender Eric Garcia was dismissed after a VAR review for holding Alexander Sorloth from behind while he ran through on goal.

Barcelona had lodged a formal complaint, rejected by UEFA, over an incident early in the second half of the first leg.

It had appealed for a penalty after Atletico keeper Juan Musso appeared to put the ball back in play from a goal kick, before Marc Pubill handled inside the six-yard box to retake it.

Kovacs waved play on and VAR did not intervene, prompting angry reactions from the Barcelona bench.