One of the classic old sports clichés fit perfectly with the scene set today in rainy Toumba:
“Even God shed a tear at André Vieirinha’s farewell.”

PAOK’s iconic captain — the young boy who arrived in 2008 as a completely unknown player and evolved into the true leader and greatest foreigner in the history of the Double-Headed Eagle of the North — took part today in his own Last Dance, with his teammates ensuring that his farewell celebration at his home ground also carried a sense of joy.

It all began with the message printed on the commemorative jersey PAOK had prepared for his send-off…

Mihailidis’ goal in the 45th minute ultimately gave the black-and-whites the win over AEK and secured 3rd place in the final standings (which grants a good Europa League ticket, provided OFI doesn’t win the Greek Cup). Still, more than the goal, what Toumba celebrated most came in the 87th minute.

That was the moment when the jersey with number 20 and the name Vieirinha appeared one last time at the center line, as he came on to replace Dimitris Pelkas.

The Portuguese star, already emotional from the moment the team arrived, spent the 10 minutes he played (plus stoppage time) chasing the ball like a madman. And when the German referee, Sören Storks, blew the final whistle, he broke down…

Watch the moment of his substitution HERE.

He dropped to his knees on the grass for a moment, embraced teammates and opponents, while the entire stadium chanted non-stop:
“Vieirinha o-e-o-e-o-e…”
Tears streamed down his face as he left for the dressing room to prepare for the farewell ceremony…

After ten minutes, all PAOK players returned to the field wearing shirts with his name, and that’s when the first official guest of the evening appeared: Fernando Santos, the man who brought Vieirinha to PAOK. He was honored by Razvan Lucescu, in a symbolic moment — the man who laid the foundation for PAOK’s rise was honored by the man who led them back to the top.

“Good evening everyone, and thank you so much. One day PAOK, forever PAOK. One day Greek, forever Greek,” Santos said in perfect Greek, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd as he praised Lucescu in return.

Then came the first tribute video, a moving collage of colors and unforgettable moments of Vieirinha in black and white. Lucescu, Santos, and 27,000 fans watched the highlights of a legendary career — and when he was called to appear, Toumba erupted.

His name echoed again and again, and the last of his tears mingled with the raindrops as AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” blasted through the speakers.

He embraced his two football “fathers,” who handed him a jersey with the number 20. Santos even playfully pulled his ear, as the older figure in his life.

When Vieirinha took the mic, the crowd chanted as if pleading for him to go on:

“Just one minute, please,” he asked, and the stadium fell silent.

“What is this?” he said — a reference to his now-iconic line during the interrupted derby with Olympiacos in 2018, making everyone burst into laughter.

“I had a lot to say… I was going to write it all down, but I’ll speak from the heart.
I came here as a boy, I became a man, a father, and one of you. I owe a huge thank you.
First to Mr. Santos, who brought me here and made me fall in love with football again. Then to Toumba.
What can I say about you, the fans? Your love will never fade.
I left for Germany, and I promised you something — and we made it come true.
I’m grateful to be a part of this great club,” he said, before the stadium once again erupted, chanting:
“We’ll never forget you, captain, captain!”

He continued a little later, thanking:
“…the Savvidis family and our president, because he brought me home. Because this is my home.
But I want to thank my wife and my daughter,” he said, calling Vasso and Christina to the stage.

“Without them, I wouldn’t have gotten this far as a footballer and a man. They gave me strength in hard and easy times. Thank you — I love you,” he said, as his daughter burst into tears in one of the most powerful moments of the night.

He concluded with gratitude:
“To my teammates, who wear this jersey — I’m proud and lucky to have been part of this team and this coach.
I didn’t write history alone… Only one of the trophies behind me isn’t yours, Razvan,” he said with a smile.

Before leaving the microphone, he quoted a chant dear to PAOK fans:
“What you mean to me, no one knows…”

By then, with everyone in tears, they moved in front of Gate 4 for the final ritual, with the great captain leading the fans once more:

“Oe, oe, oe, oe, PAOK…”
Hands raised, eyes locked on him as he embraced everyone, took his final lap of triumph, and walked off to the sound of Apostolos Nikolaidis’ zeibekiko:
“It’s my pride to be a PAOK fan, and to have the Double-Headed Eagle in my heart.”

Post-Ceremony Interview Highlights

After the celebration, in a calmer state, Vieirinha sat down for an interview with NOVA, starting with a joke:

“Manolas invited me to go play local football,” he said laughing, and then clarified:

“I’ve changed my mind once, but not this time…
To be a PAOK player means meeting expectations — and unfortunately, I realized my body just isn’t the same anymore.
I still haven’t fully processed what’s happening. I’ve been thinking about it since last year.
I had one last dream — to reach the Champions League.
I worked hard to help. It wasn’t my best season, but my first season here wasn’t great either — so I’m leaving just like I came.”

On the farewell celebration:
“I didn’t expect the ceremony to be so beautiful — but the most important thing is that we won.
My first match at Toumba was against AEK, 1-1. My last was also against AEK — but thankfully, we won.”

On Fernando Santos:
“I’ve thanked him and I’ll thank him for the rest of my life.
He gave me strength, hope, and many stories… The atmosphere at Toumba still gives me chills.
I leave feeling full and proud to have worn this jersey.
If I could turn back time, I’d do it all again.
A huge thank you to the fans — who always stood by me and showed me love.
What I experienced today and these past few days is indescribable.”

On Matías Almeyda’s comment that he “beautifies football”:
“It’s important to be respected. I haven’t really grasped everything I’ve accomplished, or that it’s over…
Maybe it’ll sink in when I don’t go to preseason.
But that’s what I always wanted from football — to enjoy it first and give 100%, while respecting teammates and opponents.”

On the sign a young boy held: “When I grow up, I want to be like Vieirinha”:
“Be yourself. There’s only one Vieirinha, Messi, Ronaldo, Figo — and each of you is unique too.
Have personality and be strong.”

Then came a comic interruption — Tyson, unaware the interview was live, came over and said in Greek:
“Malaka, let’s go…”
Vieirinha laughed and explained. Tyson asked, “Will you miss me?”
“A lot,” replied the captain.

On his future at PAOK:
“We’ve talked with the president — we’ll meet again this week.
It won’t be hard to reach an agreement.
I won’t have any big demands (laughs). I’m available for whatever they need. This is my home.”

Then Tyson returned — this time with Ozdoev, Schwab, and a bunch of beers, dousing Vieirinha in celebration.

“At least give me one to drink…” the unflinching captain joked, and wrapped things up with the matches he wishes he could play again:

“The one in Larissa, to avoid my injury, and the match against Malmö in the Champions League qualifiers — that was a lost chance to live the dream…”