French have the firepower

– French forward Antoine Griezmann (above) says his country have the firepower to achieve their dream of winning the World Cup in Russia.

And he says he doesn’t mind how they do it.

“My objective is to win the World Cup with France and it doesn’t matter how we do it or our style of play,” he told a news conference this week.

Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann, linked with a move to Barcelona, revealed he had also made up his mind about his personal future but said now was not the time to disclose it.

As France prepared for their opening game against Australia on Saturday, the 27-year-old said: “I believe in this group and in the important moments we’ll all be there. In attack we know we can do harm to any team.

“I feel comfy in the system and I’m close to (manager, Didier) Deschamps. It’s a good set-up to get us good results.

“The first game is the most important one we have, especially as a collective,” he said.

He added: “(Fellow Group C opponents) Peru and Denmark are tough opponents. We know them well and we know they defend well as a unit, but right now we’re focused on Australia and watching videos of how they play.”

The much-vaunted striker refused to answer questions on his own future amid speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona.

“I know there’s a lot of people waiting on this, but today’s not the day for this,” he told reporters.

When pressed on the issue, Griezmann admitted he had “taken the decision. But it is not the day or place to reveal it”. – Reuters

Madrid