Diego Godin claims Joao Felix never 'connected' with Diego Simeone or the Atletico Madrid 'family' after Barcelona transfer bombshell
Joao Felix's former Atletico Madrid team-mate Diego Godin claims that the Portuguese has never «connected» with Diego Simeone or the club's values.
WHAT HAPPENED? After scoring five goals in 20 appearances for the La Liga side last season, the Portugal international joined Chelsea on loan for the second half of the campaign. New Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino was against the west London outfit signing Felix permanently this summer, and at present he is back with Diego Simeone's team. However, Felix has issued a public transfer plea to Barcelona in attempt to secure a permanent move away from Atletico, which came as little surprise to Godin, who says he has never really fitted in during his time in the Spanish capital.
WHAT THEY SAID: The former Uruguay and Atletico defender told COPE's El Partidazo: «If the boy [Felix] wants to go out or the club [Atletico] wants him to go out, it is clear that he could not adapt to a family. If Cholo [Simeone] tried to take care of something, it is that the group is above any personal ego, and taking care of that is essential for how Atlético competes. He is a boy with a lot of quality, but he did not connect even with Cholo and surely with the group.»
Godin added: «Knowing what Koke or Antoine [Griezmann] are like, they will have tried to redirect him by good means but they will not have succeeded.»
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Felix has struggled to live up to his £113million ($137.8m) price tag since signing for Atletico in the summer of 2019 from Benfica, where he scored 20 goals in 43 games in the 2018-19 season. The 23-year-old still has nearly four years left on his contract but his future is very much uncertain.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Atletico begin their league season on Monday,
Read on goal.com
