Atletico Madrid: Antoine Griezmann gasps for breath after ‘Murder Hill’ pre-season training exercise

Tottenham Hotspur aren’t the only team to have suffered during pre-season after Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann was seen looking completely exhausted while partaking in a brutal training session in Spain.

Like Spurs boss Antonio Conte, Diego Simeone has been putting his Atletico players through hell in a bid to get their fitness levels up for the new campaign and made them partake in a gruelling cardio drill known as ‘Murder Hill’.

The Spanish side are currently based in Los Angeles de San Rafael and in the mountains towards Segovia for a traditional two-week training camp, and it seemed as if certain players were struggling with the demands more than others.

Antoine Griezmann winces and gasps for air during a brutal pre-season training session

The Atletico Madrid players took part in a gruelling fitness drill labelled ‘Murder Hill’

During the energy-zapping drill, Griezmann, 31, was filmed trudging down the hill in question wincing while trying to catch his breath, followed by his team-mates. 

The rigorous session requires the Atletico players to sprint up a 50-metre, 30 per cent incline slope behind the training pitch, specially devised by the club’s fitness coach, Oscar Ortega.

Ortega, who is known as ‘El Profe’, built the man-made ramp to help get the squad’s fitness levels up in preparation for the new season in August.

The video of Griezmann struggling to catch his breath comes days after Tottenham’s Harry Kane was seen throwing up at the side of the pitch following a brutal training session, which also left Son Heung-min on a heap on the floor in exhaustion.

The rigorous session requires the players to sprint up a 50-metre, 30 per cent incline slope

Atletico’s newest signing Axel Witsel is given a taste of what’s to come under Diego Simeone

Conte put his Spurs stars through a gruelling two-hour training session in the sultry heat of a Korean summer as the Premier League side threw open the doors of Seoul’s World Cup Stadium to 6,000 local fans, allowing those in attendance to get a glimpse of Conte’s brutal pre-season regime.

It was the second session of the day on Monday and it started with the popular rondo ball-possession warm-ups, featured a long 10-on-10 game across two thirds of the pitch and concluded with a savage running exercise that no-one had been warned about.

White-haired fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone took over for the running and drove those players who have been back in training for over a week through 42 lengths of the pitch at a quick pace, much quicker than a jog.

Simeone has been putting his players through hell in a bid to get them fit for the new season

Those players who reported at the end of last week after they were involved in extended international duty in June escaped with 30 lengths of the pitch.

With temperatures touching 30C, no breeze inside the 60,000-capacity bowl and stifling humidity, it proved too much for Kane, who collapsed onto his knees at the end of one run and was forced to vomit. 

It drew gasps from the spectators but he was not alone and the level of concern went up a level when local hero Son began to show signs of pain, threw himself down onto the grass and rolled on to his back.

Star strikers Harry Kane and Son both collapsed in a heap on the pitch during a running session

A number of players had to run 42 lengths, while those late back had to still complete 30 runs

Antonio Conte is renowned for putting his players through punishing pre-season sessions

For super-fit Son, it was his second day of training. He met the Spurs team with a smile as they arrived at Incheon Airport and joined them for training on Sunday, although he has been seen playing six-a-side games with his friends during his summer break.

Son and Kane dragged themselves back to their feet to complete their course.

Italian boss Conte is renowned for putting his players through punishing pre-season sessions to ensure his squad are fit and ready to go come the new season wherever he has managed.