World Soccer - UK (2019-12)

BIOGRAPHY

clubs do so both as a means of

protection from being prematurely

deprived of their prized assets and also

to give themselves a strong bargaining

position. But while it is rare for the clause

to be met, Atletico stumped up the full

amount. In July this year, Felix relocated

from the Portuguese capital to the

Spanish one, becoming the third-most

expensive player in football history.

For all the discussion regarding the

wisdom of the move and whether Felix’s

career would have been better served

staying another season at home, there

is a prosaic reason why the deal went

through: it was simply too good an offer

for club or player to refuse.

Despite the fans’ disquiet at Benfica’s

“sell, sell, sell” policy, most in Lisbon

recognised the club could not pass up

pocketing a gargantuan fee for a player

who cost nothing and had only been on

the books for three years. And from Felix

and his family’s standpoint, Atletico’s

seven-year contract sees him earn

a minimum of €6m a year. It was

impossible to turn down.

Born in Viseu, in central Portugal, the

city that spawned one of the country’s

best-ever footballers in Paulo Sousa,

Felix attracted attention from a tender

age playing for local club Os Pestinhas,

triggering the traditional scrum among

the Tres Grandes of Benfica, Sporting and

Porto, who constantly battle one another

to attract the most talented kids. It was

defensive style associated with Diego

Simeone’s teams, where the attacking

flair that Felix possesses in abundance

will take a back seat to physicality and

tactical rigidity.

And that is before any mention of the

transfer fee itself, which accounted for

endless column inches. Even in the

backdrop of today’s grotesquely inflated

transfer market, the €126million Atletico

paid was an extraordinary sum for a 19-

year-old who had been a Benfica starter

for half a season. Former Sporting and

Benfica coach Manuel Jose was moved

to comment: “The insane transfer market

has led to these amounts, but they are

immoral prices. No player the age of

Joao Felix is worth that much money.”

But Joao Tralhao, the Benfica

youth-team coach who oversaw the

youngster’s development, has a different

point of view, arguing: “A fee like this is

only possible for players with exceptional

talent in all dimensions. Joao is a young

player but a complete player.”

And Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira

went even further, predicting “Joao will

win the Ballon d’Or in the next few years,

and he will without doubt be on the

shortlist to win it on multiple occasions”.

It is common practice to set the

release clause in the contracts of young

players at an exaggeratedly high price;

SEP 17, 2016

At 16, becomes the

youngest player to

represent Benfica’s

reserve side, coming

on as a sub against

Freamunde in the

second tier.

APR 24, 2017

UEFA Youth League

runner-up as Benfica

lose 2-1 to Red Bull

Salzburg in the Final.

JUN 14, 2017

Comes on to make

his debut for

Portugal’s under-18s

as a 58th-minute

sub and scores twice

in a 3-0 victory over

Norway.

OCT 10, 2017

Makes his debut for

Portugal’s under-21s

in a 3-1 loss to

Bosnia.

AUG 18, 2018

Makes his first-team

debut as Benfica win

2-0 at Boavista.

AUG 25, 2018

Gets his first Primeira

Liga goal, against

Sporting, and

becomes the

youngest player

to score in the

Lisbon derby.

Timeline

Faith...Benfica

youth coach

Joao Tralhao

Derby day...

celebrating a goal

against Sporting

“Joao will win the Ballon d’Or in

the next few years, and he will

without doubt be on the shortlist

to win it on multiple occasions”

Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira