Between Viseu, the city where João Félix grew up, and Porto there are about 130 kilometers, less than half the distance of Lisbon. His father, Carlos Sequeira, accompanied him several times on a round trip. Thus they covered more than 1,000 kilometers per week. Because the now Barça footballer exploded at Benfica but for six years, between 2008 and 2014, he was the pearl of the Dragons’ quarry. For this reason and because he changed sides, to move to the Lisbon team, the striker will not have, in principle, a completely pleasant reception in Do Dragão. Because it was he who decided to leave Porto. It was said on his day that the blue and white team had not taken enough care of him or that he had discarded him for having a weak physique, but the footballer’s mother pointed out on her day that her son had opted for the change.
Be that as it may, Félix did not mind celebrating in style in Do Dragão a decisive goal to win a league, with the Benfica shirt. On his knees and looking at the stands of the Porto stadium, in a celebration that is still remembered and that is still ugly.
But also here, on that same field, he debuted with the Portugal national team shirt, after having received whistles from the local team’s fans. This Wednesday he knows that they will not roll out the red carpet for him. Maybe that’s why he denied having any extra motivation. “I want to win and score in every game, not just in Porto, although it is special for me to play in Portugal,” he says.
Life has always taken him back to Porto, this Wednesday with Barcelona, ??but also to undergo surgery for an injury to his right ankle, on July 2, 2021, when he put himself in the hands of the Dutch doctor Niek van Dijk, who previously He had solved the problems in the same area as Van Nistelrooy or Cristiano Ronaldo.
That’s past. The footballer’s present involves taking advantage of his loan to Barcelona. At the moment he has five starts in a row and this Wednesday’s will be the sixth, if there is no surprise in the lineup. João is comfortable at Barça and it shows. He has three goals and two assists. “The difference can be seen in everything, in the team, in the club, we can see how Barça plays and how Atlético plays, I adapt better to how Barça plays, everyone plays how they want, I don’t want to say that the way playing for Atlético is bad but now I am happy and my family is happy.” The duties that the footballer sets lie in continuing on the same path. “I think I have adapted very well, I have started well but the most difficult thing is to continue the same, that is what I am working for.”
The striker has discovered footballers who have surprised him, like Frenkie de Jong. “Seeing him up close you have another perspective of his game, of how he thinks about the game and discovers the spaces,” praised the Portuguese, who is clear about Barça’s objective in Europe. “We have to get this team back among the candidates to win the Champions League.”
