Rumors spread like wildfire in the footballing world and when speculations of a rift between Joao Felix and Atletico Madrid boss emerged, one of the two involved parties was bound to issue a statement. With Los Rojiblancos' crucial UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea being right around the corner, it was the Portuguese ace who opened up about these rumors.
Allegations of a rift emerged last month when the former Benfica ace was seen shushing the bench after scoring against Villarreal. Many interpreted this as being directed at El Cholo, having struggled for consistency in La Liga for portions of the season. However, the $150M signing has issued a response, denying all the speculations.
The 21-year-old explained the story behind his goal celebration, insisting that the gesture was not directed at Simeone but at Renan Lodi. The Portuguese attacker revealed that it was all part of a joke as his team-mate had been teasing him over his goalscoring form.
"I already said on Instagram that it was a joke with Lodi," Felix said, as per the Sun.
"He was winding me up before the game, telling me I didn't score against anyone and when I got the goal I did the gesture for him.
"The press like to talk about things they don't know."
As for his relationship with Simeone, Felix unequivocally stated that all is well between him and the Argentine boss. "My relationship with the manager is very good," the attacker added.
"He always tries to help me and we're here to help each other.
"I am happy here. My family is fine, I am fine, I am fine with the club and like with all players there are moments that are not so good. They can be overcome."
The 2019 Golden Boy winner has enjoyed an impressive campaign in front of goal, netting seven times and assisting another four goals. This has helped the Madrid giants climb to the top of the league table, with Los Rojiblancos boasting a four-point lead on second-placed Barcelona.
Despite this, the club's immediate focus is on their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea. The Spanish giants lost the first leg – the home tie – by a goal-to-nil and will need to overturn this deficit in Wednesday's Stamford Bridge showdown.
