You probably already know the story. And if not, perhaps they can relate it to many others that have to do with child prodigies who break with the places where they grew up. Because João Félix, the boy who traveled every day with his parents, secondary school physical education teachers, the 260 kilometers that separated his native Viseu and Porto He ended up ending up in Lisbon to join Benfica. He was 16 years old. Whether it was because of his apparently fragile physique, or because his coaches did not trust him enough, the story in Porto ended abruptly. Do Dragão lost a prodigal son and gained something of an enemy.
When João Félix appeared this Tuesday in the press room of the Dragons stadium as the new banner of a Barcelona where he dreams of being on loan, he maintained that pose of a candid young man that has little to do with that volcanic character that appears from time to timeespecially when he sees his football threatened.
In the guts of Do Dragão, after passing through several corridors and rooms where some of the great feats of the Portuguese double European champion are remembered – a large photograph of his former coach is striking José Mourinho at the parking entrance-, João Félix was able to take the media pulpit. He did it by biting his lips, touching his left ear, then the microphone, but sure of his posture.
Biting his lips, touching his left ear and then the microphone, João Félix did not move an inch from the speech he had planned to give. Away from any controversy, but inclined to show that new good fortune that for now accompanies him dressed as a Barça player.
He downplayed the fact of facing Porto -“My dream is to score goals anywhere, at Do Dragão or wherever”-but he revolted when they insisted that he detail the differences between this stage and the turbulent one at Atlético: “The questions are always the same. The difference can be seen in everything. In the team, in the club, in the way they play… By that I don’t mean that the way Atlético plays is bad, but I adapt better to Barcelona’s game. I needed a change of scenery, just as I did last January with Chelsea. Now I am happy, my family is well. And that is the most important”.
Among the five times that the former Atlético player has played in Do Dragão, the one that had the most impact on the rival fans was February 2019, when, still wearing the Benfica shirt, He managed to score the winning goal and prevent his great rival from winning the title.. Moment that remained in the history of a João Félix who insists on not looking back.
Xavi flees from the ‘ghosts’
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Neither does Xavi Hernández, who starred in a press conference with the clear intention of calming both the ‘environment’ and his own dressing room after years of disagreements in Europe: “It seems that we see ghosts in the Champions League, but we have to abandon all that “We can think positively too. Here there are also players who have won many matches in Europe, like Gündogan, who is a champion.”
“We have to show good football in Europe again and be competitive. It is the pending issue in this project. And we are in an ideal scenario to do it,” said Xavi, who this Wednesday turns 100 games as Barça coach. And he does so with several lessons learned: “I have learned to balance myself. To treat everything more naturally. This is football, and you can win, but you can also lose“.