Football Soccer - France v Republic of Ireland - EURO 2016 - Round of 16 - Stade de Lyon - Lyon, France - 26/6/16 France's Dimitri Payet kisses the boot of his team mate Antoine Griezmann REUTERS/Max Rossi
PARIS (Reuters) - When Dimitri Payet knelt down on the Lyon pitch to kiss Antoine Griezmann's left boot in France's 2-1 win over Ireland for a place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, many fans felt they were witnessing something more than just another bizarre goal celebration.
Griezmann's double strike on Sunday came as a relief for the France fans, who had been worrying that a gruelling season might have taken its toll on the 25-year-old who had started the competition with below-par performances.
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