Antoine Griezmann bid an emotional farewell to Atletico Madrid fans after his final home appearance on Sunday where he apologised for his previous departure for Barcelona. Griezmann, who is set to join MLS side Orlando City this summer, admitted that the move to Camp Nou in 2019 was a “mistake.”
Following Atletico’s 1-0 victory over Girona, Griezmann took to the microphone to address the supporters who have cheered him through two separate spells at the club. In the emotional ceremony, the 35-year-old addressed his controversial €120 million move to the Camp Nou seven years ago.
“Thank you all for staying behind. This is amazing,” the Frenchman said. “This is important. I know many of you have already, and some still haven’t, but I apologise again [for joining Barcelona]. I didn’t realise how much love I had here. I was very young, and I made a mistake. I came back to my senses, and we did everything we could to enjoy life here again.”
Antoine Griezmann is Atleti’s all-time goalscorer with 212 goals. He also has a record 100 assists for the club, including one for Ademola Lookman’s winner in his final home game on Sunday. Despite winning the Europa League and World Cup with France, his lack of silverware for Diego Simeone’s side remained a talking point for both pundits and fans.
“I haven’t been able to bring home a La Liga title or a Champions League trophy, but this love is worth more,” Griezmann added to a roaring applause at the Metropolitano. “I’ll carry it with me for the rest of my life.”
Griezmann also thanked Atleti boss Diego Simeone, who described the Frenchman as “probably the best player we’ve had here”.
“Thanks to you [Simeone] there’s so much excitement in this stadium,” Griezmann said. “Thanks to you I became a world champion and I felt like the best in the world. I owe you so much, and it’s been an honour to fight for you.”
