Gerard Pique remained calm until he started telling the 92,000-person audience how much he loved his childhood club.
Then, for the 35-year-old Barcelona defender and multiple trophy winner, tears flowed uncontrollably as he would never play for a host fan again.
Pique played his final game at Camp Nou on Saturday in his 616th appearance for Barcelona, bidding farewell to a 2-0 win over Almeria that lifted the host to the top of the Spanish league.
He received applause after his first touch and when he was substituted. He hugged each of his teammates and waved to the crowd, which gave him a standing ovation.
After an honorable spin around Europe's largest football stadium, Pique picked up the microphone and said he planned to return to the club in the future, but not as a player. In the past, he has said that one day he might consider running for club president.
"In life, when you grow up, sometimes love is letting go," he said before crying.
"There is so much love, so much passion between Barça and me, it's time to give us some space, some air, I'm sure I'll be back in the future. My grandfather made me a club member the day I was born. I was born here and will die here. Long live Barça. ”
Pique is Spain's world and European champions and Barcelona's three-time Champions League champions, and this week it was unexpectedly announced that this will be his last home game of his 14-year career at the Catalan club. He said he wouldn't play for any other team.
After Robert Lewandowski missed an early penalty, Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring in the 48th minute against trailing Almeria, with Frenkie de Jong leaving the result in doubt in the 62nd minute.
The victory gave Barcelona two points ahead of Real Madrid before facing Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
Pique is a skilled passer and scorer who is part of Barcelona's most legendary team along with Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and current coach Xavi Hernández. He helped Barcelona win 30 titles, including eight Spanish league titles and seven Copa del Rey.
Pique has scored 52 career goals for Barcelona and shared the record for the most goals scored in the Champions League with former Real Madrid left-back Roberto Carlos with 16.
In his youth, Pique played with Messi and Cesc Fabregas as part of the golden generation of young people at the "La Masia" training academy in Barcelona. After a stint at United, he returned in 2008 and immediately became a starter, with Carles Puyol at the heart of the defence. Then, during his long career, he partnered with several centre-backs, including Javier Mascherano, Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and, more recently, Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia.
In Spain, he helped win the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship before retiring from international football in 2018.
Pique is a favorite of Barcelona fans because of his years as an attacker at fierce rival Real Madrid.
But with the arrival of Jules Conde, Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso this summer, Xavi relegated Pique to the first rarely used substitute in his career.
"He left a very important legacy of leadership, bravery and character. He's what the colors of Barcelona need," Xavi said. "Gerard is part of an extraordinary time and our mission is to try to live again.
Sergio Busquets, now the only remaining member of former coach Pep Guardiola's best Barcelona squad, called Pique "an example that Barcelona players should be."
While his team-mates will miss him, his departure will help ease the club's wage burden.
Pique can now focus on his business adventures, which include a revamped Davis Cup tennis and tidying up his personal life after his recent breakup with pop star Shakira.