The duo of Jan Oblak and Antoine Griezman have been talking and throwing shots at former teammate João Felix head of the crunch cracker between Athletico Madrid and Barcelona this weekend.
In a pivotal match for the La Liga championship, Joao Felix, who is currently on loan from Atletico Madrid, will take on his former teammates. They have made it apparent why they believe he failed to click at the Metropolitano.
Antoine Griezmann, who had trouble at Barcelona but has made a remarkable recovery in the last eighteen months, said he wasn’t reliable enough during his time at the Camp Nou.
Oblak also attributed Felix’s lack of consistency to Griezmann’s failure to succeed under Diego Simeone, in case the public had any doubts.
“The amount of minutes Felix is receiving is undoubtedly crucial—not just for Joao, but for any player. To be in the starting lineup, though, you must demonstrate your worth on the field and in practice. This is true for everyone, not just Joao: you have to give it your all if you want the coach to believe in you,” Oblak said.
Much of the storyline surrounding Felix’s tenure at Atletico Madrid prior to his loan move to Chelsea last season focused on Simeone’s failure to maximise the Portuguese player’s potential.
With just four goals in his first 16 games at Barcelona—a figure that does not accurately reflect his creative impact—and three assists, Felix still has to prove Atletico wrong. Felix’s season has, nevertheless, started uneventfully.
