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Portuguese attacker Joao Felix suffered loud jeers and jibes during the pre-match warm-up for Atletico Madrid's season opener against Granada.
Felix joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica as one of the most anticipated young prospects in the world of football. However, his time at Diego Simeone's side hasn't been successful. He has missed a significant number of matches because of injuries, and his form has also been a point of concern for the Colchoneros.
Last year, he was loaned by Atletico Madrid to Chelsea. Consequently, he failed to impress at Stamford Bridge too, as he only scored four goals in a total of 20 appearances. Hence, the Blues also decided not to renew or sign a contract with the Portuguese attacker.
Following his return at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, Joao Felix met with massive jibes and jeers. While the attacker was warming up ahead of the match, a particular portion of the fans could be heard chanting:
"That Portuguese, what a son of a b***h he is!"
After coming back to the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, the Portuguese also stated that he "really liked" being at Stamford Bridge. Moreover, he was heavily linked with a potential transfer to La Liga rivals, Barcelona, which was eventually reported to be turned down by Diego Simeone.
In Atletico Madrid's first match of the 2023–24 season, Felix was on the bench against Granada. The Colchoneros recorded a comfortable 3-1 victory in the season opener as Alvaro Morata, Memphis Depay, and Marcos Llorente got their names on the scoreboard.
Former Chelsea captain comes forward to support Joao Felix
Atletico Madrid got a brilliant start in their season opener as they defeated Granada 3-1. However, it was still a difficult night for Portuguese attacker Joao Felix, who was on the bench during the match. The 23-year-old returned from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid earlier this season.
Consequently, former Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta, who joined Atletico Madrid this summer, came to his teammate's rescue after the massive boos. He said to Diario AS:
“It’s a complicated situation. I was his teammate at Chelsea, now at Atleti. Giving the maximum is what we have in our hands, giving the maximum for the club we represent, in this case, Atleti. Grit your teeth and keep fighting, there is no other secret in football."
Nevertheless, Joao Felix's current situation at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium is still a massive question. The Portuguese attacker has been linked with a couple of sides from the Saudi Pro League and La Liga's defending champions, Barcelona.
