One of the keys of being a successful player at Barcelona is to find one’s place in the club. Not every player will find their ideal playing style or version of themselves at a certain club. However, those currently present within Barcelona seem to be happy with the choices they have made.
This does not necessarily translate to their decisions prior to Barcelona, however. One case that definitely represents this well is that of Joao Felix. Currently on loan from Atletico Madrid, the Portuguese star is playing for his dream club and seems to be much happier than he was in Madrid.
Moreover, one of the world’s best players, who also happens to be his National teammate, agrees with this sentiment. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva believes Atletico Madrid was holding back the 24-year-old Portuguese forward:
“I arrived at a club like Manchester City where my qualities fit, but Joao Félix didn’t. And it’s not a criticism of Atlético. He went to the wrong place. Maybe I wouldn’t have succeeded at Atlético either. I would have tried to adapt and follow the coach’s idea. But it wouldn’t have been ideal for me.”
Moreover, he also admitted that he feels happy for the player in Barcelona. He thinks that the player is now in a better environment and playing at a higher level as well:
“Now I’m happy because I see him happy at Barcelona and in an environment more in line with his game. He’s much stronger than a few years ago.”
The Portuguese star also highlighted how Barcelona was also a beacon of hope for him. Speaking about his days of youth, he highlighted just how special Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona was for him:
“He confessed that as a young player, he was inspired by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona: ‘When I was young, I saw that Barcelona team with young players like Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi being coached by Pep. That was an inspiration for me. Watching a Barcelona match was undoubtedly an inspiration, and one of my dreams was for Pep to coach me. They showed me, in a difficult time for me, that size didn’t matter.”
Bernardo Silva himself has remained a target for Barcelona since quite a few seasons. Unfortunately, the timing and finances have never seemed to fall in line with one another. His recent contract extension with Manchester City complicates those desires even further. However, Felix is someone that Barcelona can still work to retain permanently, if they wish to.