Heat for substitute João Félix

The same indifference that pervades the streets of Lisbon greeted the Atlético expedition upon their arrival at the hotel. The presence of a lone fan with the red and white shirt inserted between a battery of television cameras and a group of four fifteen-year-olds confirmed that the media interest for now is well above the attraction generated by this Eurochampionsin the city. Scarcely a shout of enthusiasm emerged from the adolescents when João Félix, protected by a dark-colored corporate mask and a cap of the same color and upside down, got off the bus. After collecting his luggage, the boy walked silently, and with the same serious expression as the rest of the group, the glass door, tuned for the occasion above the lintel with a phrase in red: "Another way of understanding life", one of those sentimental and differential slogans with which the club tries to enhance its arrival in the race for marketing that reigns in the business.

The calendar

Quarters

1. Atalanta-PSG. This Wednesday. Estádio da Luz.

2. Leipzig-Athletic. This Thursday. José Alvalade.

3. Barcelona-Bayern. Friday 14. Estádio da Luz.

4. Manchester City-Lyon. Saturday 15. José Alvalade.

Semifinals

Winners 1-2. Tuesday 18. Estádio da Luz.

Winners 3-4. Wednesday 19. José Alvalade.

Final

Sunday 23. Estádio da Luz.

All games, at 9:00 p.m. (Movistar LC).

Without the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, victim of the elimination of Juventus, the return of João Félix to the Portuguese capital should be one of the great demands of the tournament for the native population. However, the most expensive signing in the history of Atlético (126 million euros) has been presented in the city that welcomed him, after leaving Porto tired and signing for Benfica, downgraded by an amalgam of circumstances. The decline in his role at Atlético, which he reached last summer, is due to the always complex adaptation to Simeone's tactical rigors and injuries that appeared whenever he began to leave traces of the definitive footballer that announce his qualities. The last, a bone edema caused by a blow to his right ankle, during the Mallorca-Atlético match a month ago.

The mishap is annoying because it is painful and because of the delicate and slow recovery that it entails. Real Madrid player Eden Hazard had the same problem. Football medical sources consulted assure that the magnetic therapy treatment that is usually used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain requires sessions that are usually spaced in periods of a week. Supports or new blows are a threat until the edema disappears. This last mishap was parallel to Llorente's explosion as a forward and Carrasco's settlement in the eleven. In the club they assure that João Félix assumes that the performance of his two teammates will condemn him to the substitution tomorrow against Leipzig in the quarterfinal match.

Head up

His irruption in the tournament will respond to the needs of the match against the daring and dynamic German team. “He has an immense quality, I think for his first year it has been good. And this is not over, I think it will be decisive in these games ", Saúl ventures. Atlético sources also assure that the player, despite his age, has not lowered his head in the face of setbacks.

“He accepts the situation and faces it from the conviction of being able to defend himself and overcome it with his football. It is not easy at her age to have that maturity, others would have collapsed or had hidden, it is not her case. She is very clear about what she wants to be and what she must do for it. He says: 'This is what there is and we are going to play, ”says a rojiblanco leader.

During their stay in Lisbon, Atlético will train in Seixal, where the Benfica sports complex is located. In the club they have detected that the location has awakened the illusion of João Félix, that he returns to the habitat in which he was trained and that he shot professional football. When weeks ago a delegation from the entity traveled to inspect the facilities, an employee called him to tell him in a humorous tone the stories that those responsible for the center had told him about his stay at the residence. They also warned him that word of mouth circulating in the Benfica sports city says that his 16-year-old little brother Hugo, who the Lisbon club has just turned professional, is better than him. "That is the only thing that is true of everything they have told you," João Félix replied with a laugh.

Since he signed for Atlético, a debate has been established in Portugal about the advisability of signing for a team led by Simeone. In the city, when his name is spoken, the discussion instantly flourishes. “I'm not sure if it was the right thing to do to sign for Atlético. It already happened with Gaitán, who gave us a lot of performance and then did not triumph with Simeone. João Félix needs to play freer and in attack, as he did here ”, says an employee of a department store who confesses himself a Benfica supporter. But there are also opinions that do not reject his landing in the rojiblanco club. "João Félix is ​​a world-class player, but he is still young and Simeone's demands will make him a more complete player," concludes João Tralhao, who worked with him in the lower categories at Benfica.