The relationship between Cholo Simeone and João Félix collapsed this very summer, resulting in the Portuguese forward being loaned out to FC Barcelona. It was his chance to silence his critics, vindicate himself and prove that, in a favorable context, he is worth the 126 million euros that Atleti paid for him back in the day.
It was the final opportunity for João to show the world that he was capable of being a global star and to lead Barça through their rebuild, as their style of play seemed to fit him like a glove. However, the only things João Félix has managed to prove at Barcelona are his blatant irregularity and immaturity.
His statistics under Xavi Hernández have not met the standards set for him. Last season before leaving for Chelsea in January, he played 649 minutes with Atlético de Madrid in spite of Simeone not trusting him. In that time, João scored four goals and dished out three assists. In comparison, throughout the 1.007 minutes he has played this year, he has only recorded three goals and two assists.
One of the few remarkable moments of João Félix at Barça was his match against what is still his current team: Atlético de Madrid. A fixture in which the Portuguese showed what he is really capable of, and that he has more than enough talent to be a top player. But João Félix’s reality is far from what he did on the match that took place on December 3.
When it seemed like the Portuguese forward had the chance to find a place for himself as an important piece for Barça, his performance plummeted, as his last matches have been very poor.
In addition, his attitude is becoming increasingly irritating for the fans and coaching staff and is starting to resemble the behaviour he was criticized for in his last teams. Performance and personality flaws that are forcing Xavi to bench him more and more frequently.
The truth is that João’s situation is complicated, but turning it around depends completely on himself. His return to Atleti, as long as Simeone is their manager, seems totally unfeasible.
On another note, it does not seem like Barça, whose financial situation is far from favorable, will make an effort to keep João Félix if he continues to play at this level and stays acting immaturely. As a result, the upcoming months will be critical for his future, to have a real impact and to regain the trust of the fans.
However, it seems that this is the real version of João, the one that Simeone did not accept in his team and for which the Argentinian received lots of criticism. The Portuguese attacker has just six months to not only win over the Culers, but also the neutral fans of our league who are looking for a show and for our national championship to have the best players and talents.
They are also really disappointed with João Félix. Their patience is running out as they ask themselves: What if Simeone was right?
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: @FCBarcelona_es.
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