MADRID: Antoine Griezmann bid a heartfelt farewell to Atletico Madrid fans on Sunday after playing his final home match for the club, and once again apologized for his decision to leave for Barcelona in 2019. The 35-year-old French forward is set to join MLS side Orlando City at the end of the season, concluding a tenure that spanned 10 seasons with the Rojiblancos, split by an ill-fated move to the Catalan giants.
Emotional Farewell at Metropolitano
Griezmann delivered an emotional speech on the pitch after Atletico secured a 1-0 victory over Girona in La Liga, with the Frenchman providing the assist for Ademola Lookman's decisive goal. Speaking at a packed Metropolitano stadium, Griezmann said: "I know many of you have forgiven me, but some still haven't, so I apologize again. I didn't realize how much love I had here; I was very young, and well, I made a mistake. I reconsidered and we did everything to come back here and enjoy it again."
A Storied Career
Griezmann joined Atletico from Real Sociedad in 2014 as a left winger but evolved into a world-class striker under the guidance of coach Diego Simeone. He leaves as Atletico's all-time top goalscorer with 212 goals in 500 appearances for the club. Arriving at the stadium visibly emotional, Griezmann expressed his gratitude: "I want to thank all my teammates from 2014 until today. It's incredible to share everything with them. Every battle, every victory, and every defeat."
Gratitude and Reflection
The forward also thanked his family, the club's staff, and coach Simeone, crediting the Argentine for transforming Atletico. "He changed everything," Griezmann said of Simeone. Under Simeone, Atletico won La Liga titles in 2014 and 2021, though Griezmann arrived after the first and was at Barcelona when they secured the second. His only major trophy with Atletico was the 2018 Europa League, which he lifted before triumphing with France at the World Cup in Russia that summer.
