João Felix has sniped at his ‘home team’ Atletico Madrid.
Felix was once touted as a force to be reckoned with in world soccer. As a teenager at Benfica, he was already dominating the league, and in the 2019-20 season, he moved to Atletico for a record-breaking transfer fee. There was a lot of hype in Portugal, with many calling him the next Ronaldo.
However, Felix didn’t develop as much as expected at Atletico. He was given plenty of chances, making over 100 appearances in three seasons, but he never showed any signs of breaking through. He never reached double-digit goals in the league and his position diminished with each passing season due to poor performances.
Eventually, he became a “loan” player. At the end of the 2022-23 season, Felix went on a half-season loan to Chelsea. He played 20 games, including a cup competition, and scored four goals. Despite the poor record on the surface, Felix played “happy football” at Chelsea.
He hasn’t played for Atletico this season either. During the summer transfer window, he publicly stated that he wanted to move to Barcelona and continued to push for a move.
Felix got what he wanted, a move to Barcelona. He has been performing reasonably well. So far, he has four goals and three assists in 16 games, including cup competitions. He has also been improving in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), scoring three goals in five games.
Felix is happy at Barcelona. Recently, he even took a shot at his “home team” Atletico. In an interview with global sports outlet ESPN, he said: “For sure, I like the style at Barcelona. All the players do. If you ask all the players, they will tell you that they like to spend time attacking, even if they play for Atletico. I’m sure of it. If they say they don’t, they’re lying.”
You can speak your mind. But Felix is on ‘loan’. At the end of this season, he will return to Atletico. In that situation, making comments criticizing Atletico’s style can never lead to anything good.