No club has enjoyed a better World Cup than Atletico Madrid. For the most part its players have performed well, but what's transpired off the pitch has been far more significant. Antoine Griezmann's decision to remain at the club, the Thomas Lemar transfer and a few key contract extensions highlight the strong summer Atletico has enjoyed.

The World Cup has less than two weeks left, and I’m just about ready to curl up in a ball and cry in the corner for the next four years until Qatar 2022 rolls around. But alas, noone can stay away from the sport for that long. After the World Cup ends (sad, I know), the attention then becomes on the club scene again, particularly the International Champions Cup schedule. 

European teams travel all over the globe for some preseason training camps and friendlies. The biggest set of friendlies, however, often happens in the United States. 

Barcelona is unhappy with defender Gerard Pique and his strange role in the even stranger documentary special, Antoine Griezmann’s ‘The Decision” that aired on a Spanish pay-per-view channel last Thursday night in Spain. Pique is the owner of film production company Kosmos Studios, the company which produced Griezmann’s decision film.

Fernando Torres has been enjoying one helluva send-off at Atletico Madrid. Last Wednesday, he appeared as a late substitute in Atletico’s 3-0 Europa League triumph over Marseille.

As most everyone expected, Antoine Griezmann and his Atletico Madrid teammates to comfortably disposed of Marseille in the Europa League final in Lyon. After Marseille attacker Valere Germain scuffed an early chance from 10 yards out, the writing was on the wall.

That was Marseille's opportunity to make it interesting, as Atletico eased to a 3-0 win behind a Griezmann brace and its stingy defense. 

In attendance was a pair of Atletico fans who had traveled to Lyon 32 years prior to see the 1986 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final between Dynamo Kyiv and Atletico.

Another summer transfer season approaches. It’s another opportunity, yet again, for Antoine Griezmann to be linked with a move away from Atletico Madrid. Although, it seems Atletico won’t let Griezmann go without a fight. 

According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, the Chicago Fire are currently in Madrid to hold talks with Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres, who’ll be out of a contract following the completion of the LaLiga season (which ends on May 20).

Arsene Wenger is on his way out at Arsenal and it seems the Gunners don’t want to quite give up some of the old Wenger ways. Slapstick defending that harkened back to Arsenal’s worst years under Wenger cost Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid in the semifinal first leg in the Europa League on Thursday at Emirates Stadium in London.