Joao Félix and Diego Pablo Simeone are together again. Far apart, but together. Still sharing equipment. One as a subordinate, the other as a boss. And with a lot of shared desire not to see each other. But they remain bound by contract. From the player’s environment they maintain that it is most likely that their output will be consumed; The club has opened the doors for him, although not at any price. The coach wants the footballer to play the Copa del Rey tomorrow. The footballer is not so clear. Yesterday he suffered a timely illness that prevented him from training. Cold war and uncertainty. Joao Félix returned to Atlético de Madrid on Friday and did so directly to field 4 of Cerro del Espino. Much had been speculated about when and how he would return. The rest of his World Cup teammates had not trained with the group on their first day back, but instead stopped by the gym. These were the cases of the Belgians Witsel and Carrasco, and the Uruguayan Giménez, who returned in the first phase; and of the Spanish Koke, Llorente and Morata after falling in the second round. However, the Portuguese worked directly with the group to incorporate him and Simeone even tested him that day with the theoretical starting eleven for the Copa del Rey against Arenteiro. After resting the squad over the weekend, on Monday Simeone returned to situate Joao with the theoretical starters, forming an offensive duo with Morata. Everything pointed to the Portuguese as a starter on the cold turf of Espiñedo. Cold as his reunion with Simeone after more than a month without seeing each other. Nothing strange, on the other hand, because the relationship between the Portuguese and the Argentine has never been exactly warm. Cholo does not deny Joao’s class in words, but he has never embraced her with enthusiasm. And they’ve been together for almost four years now. He also feels that the press throws him at him as a throwing weapon in each substitution, in each unjustified change, in each gesture… his exit would be for him to take a weight off his shoulders. Gil Marín publicly verbalized in Qatar what was an open secret: the relationship between the coach and the striker is not good. And he went further by assuring that Joao’s idea is not to continue at Atlético de Madrid and that if a good proposal arrives now, in the winter market, “the reasonable thing” is “at least to analyze it.” And from the club they are clear that this good proposal must be around 100 million euros (126 million were paid for him three and a half years ago) or else Simeone and Joao will be condemned to understand each other. Or, at least, to live together for another six months. Under no circumstances are they going to undersell what the rojiblanco CEO has always considered the jewel in the crown. And in this context the Portuguese attacker was absent from training this Tuesday. “Indisposed”, according to the club, which does not specify whether the illness is a cold or indigestion, nor are they clear if he will be present at training today in the afternoon. Whether he travels to Carballiño to fight in the mud against Arenteiro of the Second Federation will depend on his presence or not in this last training session. Related News standard No Portugal – Uruguay Joao Félix’s short tournament José Ignacio Fernández standard Yes Copa del Rey / Almazán – Atlético “Please, beat Cholo and finish him off” José Ignacio Fernández From those who know Joao Félix we know that the indisposition is real, that it is not an excuse to erase yourself and resolve your future. This is not the case of Matheus Cunha, who has not trained for days due to adductor discomfort, while his future does definitely seem to be outside of Atlético de Madrid. Although from his environment they affirm that there is still “absolutely nothing closed” with Wolverhampton or with any other club. The transfer market reopens on January 2. Joao Félix wants to be part of it. Simeone wants that while he plays the Cup, as he also did in the last game of the tournament against Almazán, a Third. Before, on the other hand, he had been a substitute in ten of the last eleven games… From now until January 31, each game could be Joao Félix’s last with the rojiblanca.
