Antoine Griezmann tearfully said goodbye to Atletico Madrid after a 1-0 victory over Girona at the Metropolitano. The French midfielder, who is set to join Orlando City, expressed deep affection for the club and its fans.

The Apology for Barcelona

Facing the Atletico world, Griezmann first acknowledged the love and support he received from the club and fans over the years. He then addressed the most difficult part of his relationship with the club: his move to Barcelona in 2019.

“I know many of you have forgiven me, and some still haven’t. I ask for forgiveness again,” Griezmann said, clearly emotional.

He admitted that he did not fully understand the love he had in Atletico at the time. He spoke of a mistake, a decision he later regretted, and the effort he made to return to Madrid and enjoy football with the red and white jersey.

Thanking Simeone and a Promise to Return

Griezmann thanked his teammates from 2014 to the present, the medical staff, his family, and Diego Pablo Simeone, the man who, as he said, changed everything in Atletico.

“Thanks to you, I became a world champion and felt like the best in the world,” he said about the Argentine coach, who watched the speech moved.

Griezmann stressed that he did not bring a Champions League or a La Liga title to Atletico, but clarified that the love of the world meant more to him than any trophy. In the end, he promised a return. When he finishes his stint in Orlando, he wants to return to Madrid and Atletico, to help the club in a different role.

The farewell did not seem like a simple player’s departure. It was the closure of a relationship with intensity, mistakes, return, apotheosis, and an open door to the future.

#Tags

  • LA LIGA
  • ANTOINE GRIEZMANN
  • ATLETICO MADRID
  • FOOTBALL