Portugal have gotten off to a firing start in the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup, hammering an established and respected Swiss side 6-1. Joao Felix may not have been on the scoresheet, but the 23-year-old’s success in Qatar has raised questions about why he’s recently struggled at Atletico Madrid despite being so good for the national team.
So good, in fact, that he has reportedly garnered interest from Aston Villa.
Joao Felix on His Struggles at Atletico Madrid
João Félix sends one more message on Atletico Madrid: “The way of playing with Portugal and then at the club is different. When the conditions are favourable, things go better”, told Sport Tv. 🇵🇹 #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/Y31FswqPjw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 6, 2022
A Different Way of Playing
Questions about Felix struggling at Atletico Madrid while still being so prominent for Portugal have not least come from the 23-year-old himself:
“The way of playing with Portugal and then at the club is different. When the conditions are favourable, things go better”, he told Sport TV, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
It’s not difficult to understand why Felix thinks this, given his success at this World Cup. The Portuguese international notably scored his first goal on football’s greatest stage against Ghana and has enjoyed solid performances in the matches where he didn’t get on the scoresheet too.
By contrast, the attacker has failed to live up to the hype and astronomical expectations surrounding him at Atletico Madrid.
Read more: Joao Felix: Manchester United Made Summer Approach for Atletico Madrid Superstar
Wanted by Many Clubs
Despite his contract with Atletico Madrid spanning to 2026, Felix is a player in high demand. In a recent, and somewhat shocking, development, Aston Villa are said to be one of the clubs interested in the Portuguese international.
The Atletico Madrid CEO Gil Marin has even publicly stated that he’d “love for Felix to stay at Atletico” while noting that the 23-year-old probably has other plans, as reported by Marca.
Back in November, the Spanish newspaper reported that Paris Saint-Germain were also interested in making a move for Felix, while he has endlessly been linked with a move to Manchester United too.
Read more: Diego Simeone: Impossible to See Cristiano Ronaldo at Atletico Madrid
