It was a night of raw emotion, tears, and closure at the Civitas Metropolitano as Atletico Madrid bid farewell to their all-time leading goalscorer, Antoine Griezmann.

Playing his final home match for the Rojiblancos before his summer move to MLS side Orlando City, the 35-year-old French forward bowed out in trademark fashion, providing his 100th assist for the club to set up Ademola Lookman for the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Girona.

The match marked Griezmann’s 500th appearance for Atletico, but the real drama unfolded after the final whistle. Surrounded by his family, teammates, and club legends like Fernando Torres and Diego Godin, an incredibly visibly moved Griezmann addressed the packed stadium with tears streaming down his face.

The forward took the opportunity to once again issue a public apology for his controversial, ill-fated €120 million transfer to Barcelona in 2019—a move that heavily fractured his relationship with the Atletico faithful before his return two years later.

“I have a headache from crying so much,” Griezmann admitted to the crowd. “I know many of you have [forgiven me], but some still haven’t, so I apologise again. I didn’t realise 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.”

Despite a legendary career in Madrid that yielded 212 goals, Griezmann’s silverware haul with Atletico remains modest compared to his status. He won the 2018 Europa League, a UEFA Super Cup, and a Spanish Supercopa, but missed out on La Liga titles (which Atletico won in 2014 right before he arrived, and in 2021 while he was at Barcelona) and lost the 2016 Champions League final.

Yet, for the Frenchman, the bond he forged with the fans ultimately transcended trophies.

“It’s true that I couldn’t win La Liga or the Champions League, but what I receive this evening, your affection, is worth much more, and I will keep it with me all my life,” he said.

Griezmann reserved his highest praise for manager Diego Simeone, the man who converted him from a Real Sociedad winger into a world-class striker and a third-place Ballon d’Or finisher.

“Thanks to you [Simeone] there’s so much excitement in this stadium. 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.”

Simeone, who once again called Griezmann “a true football genius,” returned the sentiment during the pitch ceremony.

“You arrived playing on the wing and we put you in the middle, and you became insatiable for goals,” Simeone told his departing star. “You have something that’s contagious for your teammates, and it took you to the place you deserve.”

Former teammate and Atletico icon Fernando Torres echoed those thoughts, telling the crowd: “Today is Antoine’s day – he’s surely the best any of us have seen here with our own eyes.”

With his European chapter officially closing, Griezmann leaves a complicated but undisputed legacy as one of modern Atletico Madrid’s greatest ever sons. He now prepares to head across the Atlantic, where goalkeeper Jan Oblak notes, “he still has a lot of years left in the United States, where they’ll enjoy him.”