Can Griezmann end his Atletico love story in style?

With another defining European night on the horizon, as Atletico Madrid prepare to face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, the spotlight has shifted to Antoine Griezmann, the forward bringing his Atletico career to a close at the end of the season.

It was in that context that Diego Simeone, sitting alongside Griezmann in a packed media room before Atletico Madrid's quarter-final against Barcelona, did something rarely seen in football.

Before a single question was asked, the Atletico coach chose to open the news conference with an emotional tribute to the forward, who is set to play his final matches for the Spanish club before joining Orlando City at the end of the season.

"I want to thank you for your hard work and your humility," the Argentine said, catching Griezmann visibly off guard.

"You are an admirable person in a society where young people need role models like you. Thank you for everything you have given us, everything you continue to give, and everything you still will."

If it had been solely up to the Major League Soccer side, Griezmann would already be in the United States.

Instead, the France international asked to remain in Madrid until the end of the season, allowing him the chance to say a proper farewell to the club where he has made 494 appearances and scored 212 goals.

When Griezmann nearly signed for Arsenal

The 2018 French World Cup-winner has spent his entire club career in Spain, beginning at Real Sociedad in 2009 before moving to Simeone's Atletico Madrid in 2014.

A switch to Barcelona followed in 2019, before he returned to Atletico on loan in 2021 and made the move permanent a year later.

Yet his career might have taken a very different path.

While still at Real Sociedad in 2013, Griezmann revealed in his autobiography that he came close to joining Arsenal and playing under Arsene Wenger.

"I waited, I waited, and I kept waiting," he wrote.

"Finally, a few hours before the window closed, they told us Arsenal would not make a move. I don't like being told something and for it not to happen.

"So when Eric [Griezmann's former agent] told me later that the London club were interested again, I told him: 'Forget it, after the blow they gave us.'"

A year later, Griezmann joined Simeone's Atletico for a fee believed to be worth 30m euros, a move that would define his career.

The 35-year-old is now the club's all-time leading scorer, though his legacy in Madrid extends far beyond the silverware. He has not only become a club icon, but also one of the most recognisable players in Spanish football.

Legacy at Atletico

Antoine Griezmann's significance at Atletico Madrid goes far beyond his numbers. He is regarded as their greatest player, not just a goalscorer, but more importantly as the most complete expression of what the club stands for.