Barcelona’s loaned forward, Joao Felix, rebuked Atletico Madrid fans, asserting their misunderstanding of his circumstances at the Metropolitano.
Integral in their initial encounter, Felix scored the opening goal. Despite his contributions, he is perceived as unwelcome at Atletico, evidenced by the defilement of his plaque outside the stadium, a tradition for players reaching 100 games.
His jersey was desecrated, indicating a hostile reception from fans.
“As I said before, the fans in the stands do not know the things that happened here during the time I’ve been here. What they say from the outside is that I get along poorly with my former teammates, and that’s not true, as you could see I was just now talking with Samuel [Lino] and Lemar, and everyone who passed by hugged me, came to talk to me and asked how I was, my family, and everything else, so you can see that I have nothing against them and they have nothing against me.”
Felix is widely seen as unwelcome at the Metropolitano, evident from the treatment of his plaque outside the stadium. Every player reaching 100 games with the club receives a plaque, but Felix’s was defaced with his shirt burned, spat on, and covered in excrement.
“As I said before, the fans in the stands do not know the things that happened here during the time I’ve been here. What they say from the outside is that I get along poorly with my former teammates, and that’s not true, as you could see I was just now talking with Samuel [Lino] and Lemar, and everyone who passed by hugged me, came to talk to me and asked how I was, my family, and everything else, so you can see that I have nothing against them and they have nothing against me.”
“The fans don’t know what happened here inside, I perfectly understand their reactions, but I shouldn’t be seen as the bad guy in this situation.”
Felix was also asked by Gustavo Hoffman of ESPN whether he was as close with the Brazilians at Barcelona, namely Raphinha and Vitor Roque, as he was the Portuguese-speakers at Atletico.
“Yeah I like the Brazilians, I get on well with them, I like their way of being and their way of approaching life.”
Felix made a comeback to the starting XI under the management of Xavi Hernandez and Barcelona on Sunday, after being benched in the midweek clash against Napoli.
Throughout 2024, Felix has found himself either sidelined or nursing injuries more often than being on the field.
His future destination for the next season remains uncertain, as neither party shows willingness to compromise on their stance regarding his future.
