Barcelona deadline-day arrival ‘surprised’ by the warm welcome and affection from fans

It has been less than a couple of weeks since Joao Felix signed for Barcelona. The 23-year-old was signed on the transfer deadline day on September 1, arriving on loan from Atletico Madrid.

The Portuguese international has not had much time with the club as the international break arrived right after his debut for the Catalans – a cameo against Osasuna away at El Sadar.

Even though he has been at the club for a very short time, Felix has been welcomed with open arms by a large section of the supporters and this show of affection has left him ‘surprised’.

Indeed, speaking to SPORT, Felix said: “I feel surprised. I’ve always said I wanted to play there and maybe that’s why they love me so much.”

The versatile forward then admitted his desire to play in front of the home support at the Montjuic Stadium, although he would have liked to play at Camp Nou.

“I’m really looking forward to playing on Montjuïc in front of our fans. It’s a shame it won’t be at the Camp Nou. We hope to play a good game and take the three points,” he said.

Talking about his new teammates, he added: “The group has welcomed me very well. The team is young, so I’m very comfortable. There is a very good group that wants to win.”

There has also been a lot of talk about where Felix could fit into Xavi’s plans and that the manager might use him on the left flank.

When asked where he sees himself playing, the 23-year-old replied: “I feel comfortable starting from the left wing. I’ve been playing there for some time now and I think that’s where Xavi likes to put me.”

Having not played much in the past few months, Felix showed that he can still be a valuable player when he scored a fine goal for Portugal in their 9-0 win over Luxembourg last night.

“I feel good, confident. Physically, too, despite not having had many minutes lately. I’m ready to get to Barcelona and start strong. I want to work to help the team,” said the forward.

Outlining his and the team’s goals for the season, Felix said: “Of course, the Champions League is a real objective. All the titles we will play for are an objective, but we are taking it step by step and calmly.”