Slowly but surely. He has only had a few training sessions with his new shirt but Joao Félix (Viseo, 1999) is already beginning to reap what he has sown since his arrival at Barça. Nobody smiled more than the little Portuguese jewel after the win against Betis in Montjuïc. As if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, even taking a toll, the striker responded to the confidence that Xavi gave him by granting him his first start with a brilliant game and the icing on the cake with his first goal as a Barça player.
Although Joao Félix did not exactly occupy a privileged place on Xavi's wish list last summer, the Barça coach is not willing to waste the opportunity to polish the diamond that has been placed in his hands. Still raw but with enormous potential. Fighting with Simeone and without having joined Chelsea during his loan last season (4 goals in 16 Premier games), the arrival of the Portuguese was viewed with some suspicion from some Barcelona sectors, aware that one of the great weapons that led to the league title last year was the strength of a united dressing room. His ego could become a problem. But, from day one, the footballer's attitude and willingness to help and learn what his teammates and coach need from him have dazzled the sports city.
It is no surprise that his first steps in Barcelona are being taken by the other Joao, Cancelo. They both know each other from having shared a dressing room in the Portugal team and the two have embarked on a new adventure hand in hand. They help each other as much as they can. Raphinha, who speaks Portuguese like them, has become her cicerone in the locker room. In fact, the first day they stepped foot in the sports city he came out to the parking lot to greet them just before they were officially presented inside the locker room.
What has surprised the coaching staff the most is the predisposition that Joao Félix shows from the first minute he put on the Barça shirt. “It's brutal,” they say from the locker room. His regained happiness is also noticeable at the end of training, which he usually extends to improve aspects of the game and even to have fun with some ball games, as he has already done on a couple of occasions with Lewandowski.
Joao Félix has also proven to be a very passionate person. He could no longer hold back a few tears during his presentation as a Barça player, when his father and his brother jumped onto the green to be photographed with him. He had been suffering a lot for months, being unhappy at the Metropolitano, and the sky has opened up for him with the loan to Barcelona. Chosen MVP of the duel against Betis, he did not hesitate with that passion that accompanies him and sent a couple of messages to Simeone. “Clearly I'm happy here, the change has been good for me,” he remarked.
The road is long but Joao Félix has started it off on the right foot. Debut against Osasuna with ten good minutes and a start and a goal against Betis.
It's up to Xavi to continue polishing his diamond.
