Diego Godin has officially confirmed that he will leave Atletico Madrid this summer after nine seasons at the club, and Sunday’s La Liga match against Sevilla will be his last home match.
The 33-year-old defender will see his contract expire at the end of the season, and confirmed in a special press conference that the two sides could not come to an agreement on an extension.
“I’m more nervous than for any game, it’s the truth,” Godin said in an emotional open to his press conference, fighting back tears. “These are going to be my last days at Atletico Madrid.”
While he was mum on the details of the contract dispute, Godin had nothing but wonderful things to say of his time in the Spanish capital. “As a kid I dreamed of playing football, playing for Uruguay, playing in Europe, be a big player, but never thought I’d be at a stadium like this with the people cheering your name. There is nothing nicer than that.”
Godin refused to be drawn in on the details of the disagreement between the two parties other than confirming there was a failure to come to an agreement. “To be simple, I am captain of the team, have been here many years,” Godin said. “We have not reached an agreement to continue, so my stage here is over, the nicest of my career and my life.” There is speculation that at his age, the club did not want to commit to a two-year contract, and he received another offer from elsewhere that was more attractive.
Atletico Madrid is in a state of serious flux this summer. Longtime players Felipe Luis and Juanfran are also out of contract and their future has not been decided yet. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak is the subject of rumors mainly in the Premier League with a number of top English teams looking for a stellar goalkeeper in his prime. Manager Diego Simeone has received interest from across Europe for a number of years, and it’s possible this summer he decides for a new challenge.
