On Tuesday, Atletico Madrid captain and veteran defender Diego Godin announced that at the end of the ongoing season, he will leave the La Liga giants.odin
Ahead of his final game, Godin spoke at a press conference at the Wanda Metropolitano, as his teammates, manager Diego Simeone and President Enrique Cerezo looked on.
“I’m nervous, even more than for a match. These will be my final days at Atletico Madrid. I want to communicate all the love I have for this club, this shirt,” he said.
“I am Atletico, because this is not a club, it’s a family and a way of life. It has been my home and it’s very hard to say goodbye. I never imagined this moment would come and I am not prepared.”
“In short, I am captain of the team and have been here many years,” he went on. “We have not reached an agreement to continue so my time here is over. It has been the best of my career and my life.”
“I would like to play here until I’m 40 but it’s impossible. For me the priority has always been the club, the team, my teammates.”
He also revealed that he rejected Manchester United last summer, as he chose to continue with Los Rojiblancos back then.
“I refused Manchester United bid one year ago because I decided to stay at Atlético Madrid. Now – one year later – it’s time to go,” he said, according to Fabrizio Romano, journalist for Sky Sport, The Guardian and Calciomercato. Romano also added that the Uruguayan has signed a new contract with Serie A giants Inter Milan.
Diego Godin: "I refused Manchester United bid one year ago because I decided to stay at Atlético Madrid. Now – one year later – it's time to go". He has already signed his contract with Inter. 🔴 #Atleti #MUFC #transfers
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 7, 2019
Godin has played a total of 381 games for Atletico Madrid since 2010, and has won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League twice. He was also Champions League finalist, in both 2014 and 2016.
Quotes via Supersport.