Joao Félix's dilemma with Atlético and his love for Barça: "He apologized through the appropriate channels"

There is no sports gathering that has not raised the topic of whether or not Joao Félix will celebrate a goal against Atlético de Madrid. The football talk regarding the Portuguese is even surpassing the interest aroused by one of the great matches of this first third of LaLiga on this 15th matchday: the fourth, FC Barcelona, against the red and whites, third.

The majority opinion, of course, is that Viseu will celebrate and, furthermore, ostensibly. While there are few who believe that he will not do it out of respect for the club to which he belongs or, more than believing it, they want it.. “I hope he doesn't celebrate it,” said the president of Atlético, Enrique Cerezo, during the presentation of his book. Although later Cerezo himself expressed that if he kisses the culé shield it is “because he feels Barcelona.”

However, club sources told EL MUNDO that “the normal thing is for him to be happy if he scores a goal” and he is not worried nor will his gestures be “monitored” in the event that he plays a good game today against Atlético or ends up scoring a goal. so much.

The one who didn't do it when he scored against 'his' team at home last year was Rodrigo Riquelme. In fact, he apologized as soon as he scored and received a standing ovation from the Metropolitan.. “I didn't expect the applause. I had to play against them. “I defend the Girona shield, but I thank the Atlético fans,” he expressed.

The situation is obviously not the same.. Riquelme has been a red-and-white youth player since he was young and has always defended that his dream is to succeed at Atlético de Madrid, which he is now achieving. Joao Félix, on the other hand, expressed last summer, when he was still a member of the red and white ranks, that his dream was different.. “It has always been my first option and I would love to join Barça,” he told journalist Fabrizio Romano.. And he achieved it on the last day of the market despite the fact that the club believes that he “crossed a red line” with that announcement.

Assignment

Atlético and Barça agreed on the transfer of the Portuguese, without an option to purchase, without a bonus for the movement, but the Catalans assuming the player's entire record. Movement that occurred after Félix renewed his contract with the Colchoneros until 2029 (he had a contract until 2027) to facilitate the amortization of his salary at the time of being registered in the LaLiga by Barcelona.. “He is poorly advised when it comes to achieving the transfer and could have achieved it another way,” Atlético sources say, although they also report that the player has already “apologized through the appropriate channels” for that announcement.

The intention of the transfer was, obviously, the revaluation of a footballer who had not finished meeting the high expectations generated by his signing for 126 million euros in 2019.. At Atlético he had had good moments, but he had not finished emerging as a world star. The disagreements with his coach over some attitudes and gestures took away his prominence and, finally, a gap in the squad.. And the club regrets that these disagreements between the two have been aired.

The locker room no longer liked his declaration of love for Barcelona, and some red and white players have recently come out to question the way in which Félix has approached his time at Atlético. If Antoine Griezmann believed that the Portuguese had lacked perseverance and that he “got tired” of trying, Saúl Ñíguez was something more specific: “You have to want, you have to adapt, you have to try to do many things that maybe if your head doesn't I was in the best moment, because it couldn't be here. I wish him all the best, that everything goes very well at Barça. “He has started very strong, I think he could have done things better too, he hasn't, and I think that has taken its toll on the club and the team.”

Numbers with Barça

Joao Félix's figures at Barcelona are not stratospheric in the domestic championship, but they do improve in Europe. The Portuguese has a goal and two assists in LaLiga in 11 games of the 14 played and three goals and an assist in the Champions League, in five of five. He has played good times, yes; but he still doesn't have a superstar performance.

What does not change and will not change whatever happens tonight are the intentions of Atlético de Madrid with Joao Félix. The club remains at a minimum of 80 million to let the player leave this summer. “Atlético is not going to lose the investment it made,” they explain. And if he finally stays, “it has been seen that he is not incompatible with Simeone,” they say about the last rojiblanco league title, the 2020/21 season, in which Joao Félix has a great role with 31 games, seven goals and six assists.