French star Antoine Griezmann bid farewell to Atletico Madrid fans with clear tears, during his last appearance at the team’s stadium, before his expected move to Orlando City this summer..
The farewell came after Atletico Madrid’s victory over Girona with a goal without a response, as Griezmann grabbed the loudspeaker and sent an emotional message to the fans, apologizing for his previous departure to Barcelona in 2019..
“Thank you all for staying here. This is truly amazing,” Griezmann said. He added: “I know that many of you have forgiven me, and others have not yet, but I apologize again for joining Barcelona. I did not realize at the time the amount of love I received here. I was very young and I made a mistake.”“.
Although he did not succeed in leading Atletico to the Spanish League title or the Champions League, Griezmann stressed that the fans’ love means a lot to him, saying: “This love is worth a lot. I will carry it with me for the rest of my life.”“.
For his part, coach Diego Simeone praised Griezmann, describing him as perhaps the best player the club has ever had. The French player responded by saying: “Thanks to you, I became a world champion and I felt like I was the best. I owe you a lot, and it was an honor to fight for you.”“.
The farewell coincided with Griezmann’s 500th match in an Atletico Madrid shirt, during which he scored the winning goal, concluding a prominent career with the club during which he left a great legacy, after becoming the team’s all-time top scorer with 212 goals..
