The Uruguayan center-back Diego Godín bid farewell to Atlético Mineiro on Monday, the club he joined last January and is leaving six months before the end of his contract due to a lack of playing time in the team.
"I leave with the satisfaction of always giving my best in every moment, with a lot of professionalism, and having respected all those people that I will never forget," said the 36-year-old defender in a message shared on his social networks.
Godín, one of the leaders of the Uruguayan national team, which will be in the World Cup in Qatar starting in November, said that since he joined the club in Belo Horizonte he found "a lot of good people" who helped him and "facilitated" his adaptation to the team dynamics.
"I want to thank everyone who works at Atlético Mineiro and makes it a great club," he expressed.
He specifically wanted to thank the "management, coaching staff, all the staff working around the team, and of course, the amazing fans, the 'masa do Galo'," as he highlighted.
The future of Diego Godín would be in Vélez Sarfield
"And a special mention to my teammates, who are a group of humble champions, and that's where the secret of this team's success lies!" he added.
Godín's departure, who wants a greater role on the field thinking about his preparation for Qatar, was anticipated on Sunday by Mineiro's coach, the Argentine Antonio 'Turco' Mohamed, in the press conference after the 2-0 victory over Flamengo in the Brazilian Championship.
The coach confirmed that Godín's farewell, a former player of Villarreal, Atlético de Madrid, and Inter Milan among other clubs, happened by mutual agreement between the player, the coaching staff, and the management.
"It was the best decision" (...) Godín is "a great player" and "a great professional" who participated in the two titles won so far this season: the Brazilian Super Cup and the Campeonato Mineiro, he said.
Godín arrived at Mineiro, which in 2021 was crowned champion of the league and the Copa do Brasil, as a starters, but as the weeks went by, he lost his place in Mohamed's starting eleven.
Now, he says goodbye six months before the end of his contract, which expired in December, with an option for one more year; without having completed ten matches with the rooster's shirt and with one goal scored in his personal account.
According to Brazilian media, his next destination could be Argentina's Vélez Sarsfield.