Filipe Luis bid an emotional farewell to Atletico Madrid yesterday as he confirmed that he was leaving the La Liga club following the expiration of his contract.
At a specially arranged farewell press conference, Luis who made 333 appearances for Los Rojiblancos, also hinted that he is close to signing for Flamengo, in his native Brazil.
The move would see the left back end his 15 years spell playing in Europe, where he was able to establish himself as one of the continent's top full-backs.
Speaking to Marca, the Brazil international spoke of pride looking back at his time with Atletico.
"I'm very privileged"
He said: "This is an act of farewell, but I would call it an act of gratitude.
"I'm very privileged, I spent my best years at this club, I'm very lucky. Thank you to all those who are here and my teammates that have been with me.
"It's not a sad day for me as I'm leaving knowing that I've given my all, that I've worked hard and that I've fought. I never imagined I would be able to experience matches at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, which has been special and unique.
"It's a farewell from me as a player, but I will always have this club with me for the rest of my life."
Regarding the speculation about his potential return to Brazil, Luis was fairly coy on where his future lies.
He said: "There are conversations and negotiations with Flamengo, but we'll talk."
A glittering career
After four impressive seasons with Deportivo La Coruna, Luis moved to the Spanish capital with Atletico in the summer of 2010 for a fee of €13.5m.
Over the next four years, Luis was an integral part of the Atletico side that became a formidable force both at home and in Europe. In the 2011/12 season, Luis made 53 appearances in all competitions as Diego Simeone's team triumphed over domestic rivals Athletic Bilbao to win the UEFA Europa League.
More silverware followed in the next season, first with a 4-1 demolition of Champions League holders Chelsea to win the UEFA Super Cup, and then with a 2-1 victory over neighbours Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, to win the 2013 Copa Del Rey.
But Atletico and Luis' finest hour came in the 2013/14 season. A Diego Godin header on the final day against Barcelona gave Los Rojiblancos the point they needed to pip the Catalan side to their first La Liga title since 1996.
Filipe Luis was also a key part of the Atletico team that reached the Champions League final in the same campaign, where Real Madrid were able to avenge their Copa Del Rey defeat the year before.
In the summer of 2014 Luis signed for English Premier League club Chelsea, where he tasted further success, winning a league and cup double despite only making 26 appearances.
A welcome return
However, after just one year in England Luis returned to Atletico, where he had been sorely missed by Simeone's men, who were unable to win any silverware in the 2014/15 season.
Luis and Atleti were once again defeated by bitter rivals Real Madrid in the 2015/16 Champions League final, as the latter began to assert their dominance on the continent.
With the re-emergence of Real and Barcelona, Atletico found it difficult to compete with Spain's two most successful clubs, but Luis was still able to get his hand on more trophies.
His side once gain clinched the Europa League trophy in 2018, hammering Ligue One outfit Marseille 3-0 in their own country in Lyon.
The 33-year old picked up his final major honour in a red and white shirt with a priceless victory over Real Madrid to claim the UEFA Super Cup for the second time with the club.
Capped a respectable 44 times by Brazil, Filipe Luis was part of the recent 23-man squad that won the country's first Copa America in 12 years.
A club icon
A left-back known for his relentless energy as well as a smart football brain, replacing Filipe Luis at Atletico will surely be a challenging task for Diego Simeone, who has also lost another left-back French defender Lucas Hernandez to Bundesliga side Bayern Munich for the coming season.
What is perhaps even more telling about Filipe Luis' ability and status in the game, even in the latter stages of his career, is that he has been linked with a number of huge clubs including Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona this summer.
His wealth of experience at the very highest level would make him a welcome addition to any European side who are aspiring for greatness, but it appears that Filipe Luis is willing to call it a day on the continent where he has become universally known and idolised, and play out his final matches in the sport in his native Brazil.
