"People on the outside clearly don't know what happened here" - Barcelona attacker Joao Felix makes transfer claim after facing parent club Atletico
Barcelona star Joao Felix has spoken out after receiving yet another hostile reception from Atletico Madrid supporters at the weekend. The Portuguese forward reiterated that the fans are ignorant of the developments that led him to leave the Rojiblancos on loan last summer.
Recall that Joao Felix joined Barcelona on a season-long loan last summer on the back of a strained relationship with Atletico Madrid. Even after leaving the Rojiblancos, fans still hold a grudge against the attacker and they don't seem to be ready to drop it anytime soon.
They gave him a hostile treatment when the two clubs clashed in La Liga towards the end of last year but it didn't end there. The jeers and whistles were loud once again yesterday as the Portuguese represented Barca at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Speaking after the game, Felix stressed that the supporters didn't understand the events that transpired during his time with Atletico but insisted that he still gets on well with his former colleagues at the club.
"The people in the stands don't know the things that happened during the time I was here," he told ESPN Brasil after the full-time whistle. What they say from the outside, that I don't get along with my former teammates, isn't true. As you can see, I stopped to talk to [Thomas] Lemar and [Samuel] Lino and they all passed by and came to hug me, to talk to me, to ask how the family is, to ask me how I was doing and so on."
"I don't have anything against them and they don't have anything against me. The people on the outside clearly don't know what happened here," added the Portuguese.
It is worth noting that Joao Felix ended up having the last laugh as he found the back of the net to inspire Barcelona to a 3-0 victory over Diego Someone's side.
Highlighting Joao Felix's numbers for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid
In his file with Atletico Madrid, Joao Felix recorded 34 goals and 18 assists to his name in 134 appearances across competitions. He managed to win silverware with the Rojiblancos, helping them claim the La Liga title during the 2020-21 campaign.
For Barcelona, the Portuguese international has played 34 games across all fronts since arriving on loan last summer, contributing nine goals and five assists. That includes two goals against Simeone's men in as many games.
Meanwhile, his loan deal with the Catalan giants is set to expire at the end of the season. Both clubs are believed to be in talks about making his move to the Catalan capital permanent.