The reasons for the explosion of Joao Félix: regularity and a "canterano" attitude

Next week (November 10) Joao Félix will turn 21 years old.

And, unless something paranormal happens in Moscow (Lokomotiv) or in the Metropolitan (Cádiz), he will blow the candles at his most radiant moment since he arrived at Atlético (44 games, 14 goals and 5 assists).

Not only are the four goals in his last two games, all decisive for the fate of his team, but the certainty that the regularity expected of a player of his category is already here.

Even Simeone no longer hides his amusement.

15 months after the official announcement of his signing, Joao is waving the 7 of his shirt at the height of his predecessor, Antoine

.

Without the earthquake caused by the Frenchman's departure (and without the 120 million of his clause, plus another 15 that came later), Joao, probably, would have landed in Manchester to put himself under

orders

at City.

But that is already part of the past.

His present, and his future, with a contract until 2026, go through Atlético de Madrid.

A year and a half ago, the leadership of the red-and-white entity moved in person to the town of Viseu, in northern Portugal, where the Félix family lives, to convince the boy that they had fallen in love with them at the age of 17.

, the sports director, had seen him live a handful of times, after astonishing in that Youth League with Benfica, where he drove

Real Madrid crazy

in the semifinals.

Berta was also in the stands when Joao uncorked with a hat-trick against

, in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals (2019).

"It was a commitment and a personal bet of Miguel Ángel [Gil]", they recognize in the Madrid club, when remembering those six months of hard courtship, where Bayern, Real Madrid and Manchester City had their nails and wallets ready to execute the purchase.

"It is not the same that a scout comes to see you, that the owner of the club does," they add.

300 million clause

And on that visit, Atlético, who was already in love with the footballer, also fell in love with the person and his environment.

Both his mother and father are physical education teachers in schools other than Portugal.

Both would end up taking turns to be with their son in Madrid.

There's also

, 16, who is following in his brother's footsteps at Benfica, where he signed his first professional contract in the summer.

On that surprise trip they met a simple and very close family.

«We told him that we wanted a footballer to grow hand in hand.

We didn't want a character.

We were simply looking for Joao », they recall this newspaper.

The letter that decided the game was to offer him to play with the first team, while the other suitors would have given him a year at Benfica: "Atlético believed in him from the first moment."

An agreement with the Lisbon club, following the mediation of Jorge Mendes in the operation, allowed Atlético to pay in installments its clause of

.

The most algae figure ever paid by the red and white entity.

Just like its record 300 million armor plate, which scares off any outside surprise and leaves the future in your hands.

One hot day in June, the entire Felix family traveled to Madrid, took a tour of the Metropolitano and ended up filming the famous advertisement in the Prado Museum, on the condition that it be kept under lock and key until July 3.

He had only been a professional for a few months and, after Griezmann left, at only 19 years old, he was called to be the team's beacon.

His contract, close to

, is still far from the 10 that

or

charge

.

But, depending on the goals, minutes or caps, it will grow during those seven seasons until it reaches the top.

The normal thing is that some renovation arrives along the way.

Without rest in Champions: 20.5 km

Simeone greets Joao Félix as he goes to the bench.Jesus DigesEFE

The figure of

was also present at the operation.

More than a decade ago, in 2006, they played it with him and it did not go bad.

"Those 23 million were outrageous at that time," they admit at the club.

It was time to try again.

In these months as rojiblanco, Joao has had time to pulverize the record of precocity of the Argentine in the Champions League, becoming the youngest scorer (19 years and 325 days) with that goal against Lokomotiv, in Moscow, just over a year ago .

Months later he would raise the second Golden Boy trophy in the history of the entity, after the one won by Kun in 2007.

Comparisons are inevitable, even though they have nothing to do with football.

«He arrived as if he were a canterano, ready to learn.

He is a good boy », admit those who deal with him.

And now, after a year of apprenticeship, he has strongly internalized the demands of Simeone's libretto.

Only

,

and

, in that order, have done more kilometers than him in this Champions League: 20.5.

He has played every minute and, as he acknowledged after his recent double against Salzburg, it motivates him a lot.

«He thinks very fast and has solutions for everything.

It is what makes him different », defines this newspaper

, who also lived with his price until he erased it with football and goals.

Joao, passionate about the PlayStation and sponsored from day one by

, has had to overcome a tough military service with Simeone.

Substitutions before the end stung, but he didn't raise his voice.

When he wants, he can change the game.

Go ahead, have fun ”,

whispered

to

last Tuesday

, after the Portuguese exhibition against Salzburg.

Atlético already has the light they were looking for.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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