Joao Mario believes his teenage compatriot Joao Felix would have been better off going to Barcelona rather than Atletico Madrid.
In the summer, Portuguese teenage sensation Joao Felix left Benfica for Atletico Madrid.
Even though Atleti paid a whopping 126 million Euros for the forward, it was believed to be a bargain given his potential.
Things have not quite gone to plan. The youngster has suffered from injuries of late, and has failed to find any kind of consistent form.
He has clearly struggled with either Diego Simeone’s system and or his tactics.
Speaking to Record, 2016 European champion and Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Joao Mario feels his international teammate perhaps picked the wrong club to move to.
He said:
“Atletico are one of those teams that, seen from the outside, is very well worked out, as if it were an Italian team playing in Spain.”
“Of course, moving from Benfica, which plays 80% of the game in an organized attack, to Atletico.”
“With even more pressure due to the price, it is not easy in terms of adaptation.”
“But at Barcelona, of course the pressure would be greater but the style of play would be more suitable.”
It was record-breaking performances like this that convinced Simeone and Atletico to bring Felix to the Wanda Metropolitano.