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Antoine Griezmann gave an emotional farewell to Atletico Madrid fans, apologising again for his Barcelona move as he prepares to depart for the MLS.
Antoine Greizmann bid farewell to the Atletico faithful one last time ahead of his move to the MLS this summer (AFP)
It was an emotional goodbye years in the making for Antoine Griezmann.
The French forward bid farewell to Atletico Madrid fans on Sunday after playing his final home match for the club, closing the curtain on a deep-rooted relationship that survived trophies, heartbreak and one controversial exit.
And in front of a packed Metropolitano Stadium, Griezmann once again apologised for leaving Atletico to join Barcelona in 2019.
“I know many of you have forgiven me, but some still haven’t, so I apologise again,” Griezmann told supporters after Atletico’s 1-0 win over Girona.
“I didn’t realise how much love I had here. I was very young, and well, I made a mistake.”
The 35-year-old will join Orlando City SC at the end of the season, bringing an end to a decade-long Atletico journey split across two spells.
Griezmann arrived from Real Sociedad in 2014 as a winger but evolved into one of Europe’s deadliest forwards under Diego Simeone.
Over 500 appearances later, he leaves as Atletico’s all-time leading scorer with 212 goals.
How Griezi’s Farewell Unfolded
Griezmann arrived visibly teary-eyed and later assisted the match-winning goal for Ademola Lookman before receiving a standing ovation from supporters and club legends alike.
Former Atletico icons Fernando Torres and Diego Godin joined the celebrations alongside club president Enrique Cerezo and Griezmann’s family.
“Today is Antoine’s day. He’s surely the best any of us have seen here with our own eyes,” Torres said.
Simeone, the coach who shaped Griezmann into a superstar, also paid tribute.
“You arrived playing on the wing and we put you in the middle, and you became insatiable for goals,” Simeone said.
“You have something contagious for your teammates, and it took you to the place you deserve.”
(with AFP inputs)
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