Joao Felix vows to make a return to his former club after record-breaking Atletico Madrid move
The Portuguese sensation Joao Felix made a big-money move worth €120 million to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid from his boyhood club SL Benfica.
The 19-year-old prolific forward is tied with a long term contract with Atletico Madrid as he has penned a seven-year deal with them.
He has also won the prestigious Golden Boy award and helped his country secure the UEFA Nations League.
He has had a good start to life at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium as he has scored four goals and assisted a few for the club.
Felix is dedicated to becoming a global star with Atletico but concedes that he will look to return to Lisbon further down the line.
“Now I see how happy I was at Benfica.
“I plan to return one day and leave my mark on the club.”
“A lot was said on social media in the Benfica vs Porto match build-up about the fact that I had left the club, I know the players didn’t like it,” Felix added.
“We were losing 1-0, it was an important game if we won we would be first… I got a draw.
“I started celebrating the goal with arrogance, looking at their faces. This was my moment. A beautiful feeling. To be honest, it was a shame it didn’t last longer.”
After netting against FC Porto in March, Felix went on to record a first senior hat-trick in a Europa League showdown with Eintracht Frankfurt.
He said of that achievement, which came during a testing period for him as an individual: “The third goal I scored, I cried. It was a weight off my mind.
“Two days earlier, in the dressing room, I heard comments that didn’t sit well with me. I went to the bathroom to cry.
“Nobody knew, but then I got the hat-trick and I felt a weight off my shoulders, I gave it my all.”
Joao Felix has a brimful of potential to make his mark on the higher stages and there are lots of expectations from him at the Atletico Madrid.
