yahoo.com
Diego Simeone believes Joao Felix will prosper at Atletico Madrid, calling him “the talk of our side” ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Champions League match against Chelsea.
Atletico Madrid manager Simeone has announced that Portugal’s Felix will open the second leg of the last-16 tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the Spaniards trailing the Blues 1-0.
Felix put his finger to his lips and shouted in Simeone’s direction after scoring in Atletico’s 2-0 victory over Villareal.
But, ahead of the finely balanced tie in west London, both manager and player insist there are no schisms at Atletico.
“As we have always said, Joao is a very important player,” Simeone said.
“Joao will start from the beginning. He’s had a fantastic start to the season so far. He’s the talk of the team, and we urgently need him. Throughout their professional careers, all footballers experience dips, especially when they are young. However, as you learned from him, his personality is no longer needed. Ahead of the Champions League and LaLiga matches, we need to make sure that as a 21-year-old, he has the necessary willpower to get to where he wants to be.”
The boss:
❝@ChelseaFC currently have no weaknesses, but we know what we want from the game – to win.❞
🔴⚪ #AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/Bo2p86XIDg
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 16, 2021
Felix was signed by Atletico Madrid for 126 million euros from Benfica in June 2019, but his transition has been slow.
Felix joined Atletico Madrid for 126 million euros in June 2019, but his transition to life in Spain has been difficult.
