Joao Felix has been one of the most publicized players in Spanish football over the past 12 months.
He left Atlético de Madrid last winter to join Chelsea on loan, and did it again this summer by joining “dream club” FC Barcelona for the 2023-24 season. Felix joined Atleti in 2019 from Benfica in a record deal, and failed to reach the heights expected of him. However, it’s not entirely his fault – at least that’s the opinion of his Portuguese teammate Bernardo Silva.
Bernardo told A Bola that while he made the right choice in joining Manchester City in 2017, Felix did not do the same when he swapped Benfica for Atleti two years later. Bernardo also believes that Barcelona is a much better club for Felix. “ I arrived at a club to which my qualities adapted, and he did not. This is not a criticism of Atlético. He didn’t go to the right place. I might not have triumphed at Atlético either. I would have tried to adapt and follow the coach’s idea, but it wouldn’t have been ideal for me. Now I’m happy because I see him happy and in an atmosphere more in line with his game (at Barcelona). He is much stronger than he was a few years ago.”
