pwshub.com

Atletico Madrid fans vandalise Joao Felix's plaque after Chelsea move

A plaque featuring the name of Joao Felix outside of Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium has been vandalised by fans following the player's move to Chelsea. 

Felix became the most expensive player in the history of Atletico when he joined from Benfica for a fee worth around £115million in July 2019.

Despite scoring 34 goals, Felix failed to live up to his hefty price tag and is £42.7m sale to Chelsea saw the Spanish club ultimately accept a massive loss.

Felix fell out of favour with Atletico manager Diego Simeone, while many fans criticised the attitude of the 24-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona.

After his transfer to Stamford Bridge was officially confirmed, litter in the form of cigarette butts and empty beer cans was seen covering up Felix's floor plaque on the Walk of Legends.

Felix, 24, pictured posing for a photo in a Chelsea shirt after leaving Atletico on Wednesday

The Walk of Legends features plaques for players who have appeared in 100 or more official games for Atletico.

Felix played in 131 competitive matches for Atletico, including 96 in La Liga.

His final outing for the club in Spain came in a 3-1 pre-season friendly win over Getafe earlier this month.

Felix scored in that game but he was subjected to offensive chanting from Atletico fans, who branded him a 'son of a b****'.

The Portuguese playmaker has since signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea, having previously featured 20 times for the London club during a loan spell in the 2022-23 season.

Speaking after completing his move back to Chelsea on Wednesday, Felix told the club's official website: 'It's a chance for me to find a home.

'After two loans, Chelsea and Barca, I needed to stay permanently in one place. There is no better place for me to be than Chelsea. I see a perfect place to shine.

'It was a little bit of a lot of things that made me want to come back: the project, the club, the league, the fans, the time I spent here that I loved. I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I'm really happy to be back.'

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Related stories
2 weeks ago - The Madrid derby had to be suspended after Atletico Madrid fans at the Metropolitano Stadium threw missiles at rival players.
1 month ago - Fans draped in red and white waved their flags and chanted Gallagher's name after the former Chelsea star opened the scoring in the first half with a neat finish from inside the area.
2 weeks ago - Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut was targeted by fans during the match against Atletico, prompting the referee to suspend the game for 15 minutes.
2 weeks ago - Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone condemned supporters hurling objects at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but felt the Belgian played his part in provoking the crowd.
2 weeks ago - He was treated on the pitch as his shocked team-mates watched on and the club have since revealed that he received 'a series of tests and was assessed by specialists'.
Other stories
25 minutes ago - The Frenchman arrived at Old Trafford for £89million as Mourinho's marquee signing in 2016 but their relationship was tumultuous and became frayed.
25 minutes ago - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY SAMI MOKBEL: It is the afternoon of October 4, 2024. Paul Pogba stands at home gazing out of the window overcome with shock. Happy shock.
26 minutes ago - The Frenchman eventually left Old Trafford on a free in the summer of 2022, six years after he had returned for a then-world record £89million fee.
26 minutes ago - The Manchester United defender hasn't pkayed a minute of football since June last year, when he last played for the Netherlands in a Nations League game against Croatia.
26 minutes ago - RANGERS chairman John Gilligan has urged supporters to ditch the pyrotechnics after the club were hit with another UEFA fine.