On May 17, 2014, there was a seismic change in Spanish football.
When Diego Godin rose to meet Gabi’s corner, thundering in an unstoppable header to hand Atlético Madrid their first league title since 1996, any lingering doubts over whether to take the Colchoneros seriously were blown away. Despite the sizeable financial disadvantage compared to Barcelona and Real Madrid, Spain had a third force once again.
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Godin heads in the equaliser against Barcelona in May 2014 on a day Atletico Madrid won LaLiga
Those lucky enough to experience that day in the flesh will never forget it, nor Godin’s goal. Only 400 away supporters were allocated tickets, but come full time the entire Camp Nou stadium applauded in support anyway.
There were even chants of ‘Atleti, Atleti’ in acknowledgement of the feat the visitors had pulled off. And on the pitch, crumpled in a heap after 90 minutes of herculean effort, was Godin. The man who got Atleti over the line, both with his equaliser and his heroic defending to keep things level until the end.
Atleti haven’t managed to win another league title since, but they have continued to wedge themselves between Spain’s traditional big two.
Their league record since 2014 is lesser than Barcelona’s, but it is as good as their richer, more lauded city rivals. This season they have split Barcelona and Madrid once again, for a second consecutive year. One league and two silvers in six seasons. The exact same return as Los Blancos have in the same period, and irrefutable evidence that if Madrid are still to be considered a La Liga powerhouse, then so too must Atleti. Godin has been there throughout.
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Along with current Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Godin lies on the pitch at full-time where a 1-1 draw with Barcelona sealed a first league title for Atleti since 1996
He has started throughout, too. At the very beginning, even, playing 90 minutes in the 2012 Europa League final win over Athletic Club that sealed the first trophy of the Diego Simeone era, foreshadowing the further glory that was to come.
Just as he started the Copa del Rey final in 2013, where Atleti beat Madrid for the first time in 14 years. At the Bernabéu, no less. That night broke a collective mental block that was pivotal in pushing Atleti on to their league triumph and further trophies since.
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And in the Europa League final in Lyon, on May 16, 2018, Godin started again. Completing another 90 minutes as usual, his win over Marseille played a part in convincing Antoine Griezmann to reject Barcelona and continue with Atleti last summer, allowing fans to sit back and enjoy the Frenchman’s World Cup win in Russia.
If not for the Uruguay international’s header almost four years to the day before the Lyon final, Atleti may well have struggled to lure Griezmann to the club in the first place. As reigning league champions, the sales pitch to the already impressing young forward – who had no shortage of attractive options even at the time – was made much easier.
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Griezmann and Godin became close friends and the defender is godfather to Griezmann’s daughter
The two have become inseparable since. Griezmann is an adopted Uruguayan who made Godin his daughter’s godfather. The forward turned up to Atleti’s last home game of the season at the weekend wearing a Godin shirt, and was profoundly disappointed to lose his friend from the dressing room.
It is no coincidence that only three days after the centre-back said farewell to Atleti, so too did the striker, confirming he will not continue with the Rojiblancos next year.
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Godin hugs supporters after his last match for Atleti in what appears to be the end of an era for the club
Along with the Godin, Griezmann joins Lucas Hernández (whose buy-out clause was triggered by Bayern Munich), Juanfran (out of contract) and Filipe Luís (out of contract) in an exit list that can only be seen as an end of an era for Atleti. In the case of the latter duo, diminishing performances mean there is some logic to parting ways, but with Griezmann Atlético may well have sealed their own fate with how they treated their captain and his friend.
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In his time at the club Godin has won the league, cup, two Europa Leagues and has been a Champions League runner-up twice
Because Godin’s departure was not inevitable, and there is a sadness about it, inflexible rules not adequately equipped to cope with the exceptional nature of a club legend.
He wanted to stay – his rejection of Manchester United last summer proved that. Atleti were unwavering in sticking to their policy of only offering one-year contract extensions to players over the age of 30 however. Under those terms, he understandably couldn’t sign on the line. His former team-mate and captain Gabi said Atleti should have tripled their offer.
But they didn’t, and so, Godin leaves. Others leave too, but his farewell hurts the most. The only caveat? Despite putting Atleti ahead in Lisbon back in 2014, he leaves without the Champions League trophy, and that will no doubt bother a player with an immense hunger for success.
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Having spent nine years at the club, Godin has become an icon of Atletico Madrid
Yet European Cup or not, he leaves as a true icon, someone synonymous with a particular period. As someone who will be the first player Atleti fans talk about in decades to come when they look back on their era of great Diegos. As someone whose head, feet and willpower changed the makeup of Spanish football. As someone who made the Camp Nou applaud in resignation. Atlético will have a hard task reaching those heady heights again without him.
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