In an emotional evening, Antoine Griezmann bid farewell to the Metropolitano and Atlético Madrid fans ahead of his imminent exit to join Orlando City this summer, 12 years after he first joined the club where he would go on to become record goalscorer.
The Frenchman, joined by his family, coaches, and teammates past and present, received a special ceremony on Sunday evening. It lasted over 30 minutes after the final whistle, with the full stadium waiting to send their own message to the forward.
Below
is Griezmann’s complete remarks.
Griezmann’s speech in full
“First, I want to thank you all for sticking with me. This is amazing. Second, and this is very important: I know many of you have already heard this, while some haven’t yet, but I want to apologize again. I didn’t realize how much love I had here. I was very young, I made a mistake, I reconsidered and we did everything we could to come back here and enjoy it all over again.
“I want to thank my teammates, from 2014 until today, it’s been incredible to share every day, every training session, every battle, every victory and every defeat. It’s been incredible to fight alongside you.
“To the physical therapists and equipment managers who wake up at 6 a.m. to give us massages and are the last to leave.
“To the coaching staff and to the man who changed everything at this club, Diego Pablo Simeone. Thanks to you, there’s so much excitement in this stadium and this locker room. Thanks to you, I was world champion and I felt like the best in the world. It’s been an honor to fight for you.
“I have to talk about my favorite chubby guy, our captain Koke. Personally, I don’t know if I’m a legend or not, but you, my friend, are a f***ing legend of this club.
“And I have to thank my wife, Erika Choperena. For supporting me, helping me on my bad days, and dealing with my anger after losses. I love you, I love you, I love you.
“And finally, I want to thank my parents, especially my father, who drove me all over France when I was 13 so I could play professional soccer, hours there and hours back, and thanks to him, I love soccer.
“I haven’t been able to bring home a La Liga title or a Champions League trophy. But this means so much more to me tonight; I’ll carry your love with me for the rest of my life.
“Fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, thank you so much for bringing your children here to teach them what Atlético de Madrid is, which is the best in the world.”
Koke’s speech to Griezmann
“It’s my turn to say goodbye to people I love. Gabi, Juanfran, Raúl García, Diego Costa and Filipe Luis have all left, and now my brother is leaving too.
“Before the game even started, I said, ‘Atlético Madrid’s all-time leading scorer’, my goodness. Thank you for bringing joy to all of us every day, because in tough times, when people are feeling down, Antoine always shows up with his childlike spirit and lifts us up.
“He leaves a huge legacy for many young players who, hopefully, will have the same dedication he did. He left, and it hurt us all, but he showed guts, came back and scored goals to be the best (in club history).
“Enjoy this new experience to the fullest, but at Atlético, beyond the titles, we seek this kind of recognition, 70,000 people applauding you.”
Diego Simeone’s speech to Griezmann
“In Barcelona, everything I told you came true. Torres embodied that in you, it’s how everyone feels. It’s very rare for everyone to love you, and yet everyone loves you.
“You came in as a winger, we moved you to the center and you were insatiable in front of the goal. Your freshness and joy were contagious to your teammates and took you to the place you deserve.
“People have been sitting here for half an hour and haven’t moved, and they haven’t moved because you deserve it. Thank you.”
Diego Godín’s speech to Griezmann
“I know how it feels; it’s hard to leave home. As friends and family, on behalf of all Atlético fans, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you’ve given to the club, your dedication to the jersey, your humility, your hard work and who you are. The person you are.
“This is a farewell, the end of a chapter, the most beautiful one of your life, but it marks the beginning of a legend that we will continue to remember and cherish more and more every day. Thank you, friend.”
Fernando Torres’ speech to Griezmann
“For days now, we’ve been hearing about the one-of-a-kind player you’ve been, the best that many of us here have ever seen with our own eyes; that much is clear.
“But I think Antoine leaves behind something much more important: the affection, respect and recognition of the entire Atlético family. We all know what the journey has been like, how important it was for the club to be where it is today.
“Here you have the recognition of your people, which is the greatest thing a footballer can take with him. Forza Atleti.”
