Cesar Azpilicueta sends message to Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid got off to an excellent start to their La Liga campaign on Monday evening, securing a 3-1 win at the Civitas Metropolitano over Granada. It was a vibrant atmosphere in Canallas, which was only punctuated by the clear disdain shown for Joao Felix.

The Portuguese star faced his home fans for the first time since declaring he would love to join Barcelona, and their response to Felix was predictably heated. He was sent out to exercise after the match as an unused substitute, but eventually that idea was scrapped due to the abuse cascading down from the stands.

A more positive return to the Metropolitano was had by Cesar Azpilicueta, who like Caglar Soyuncu made his debut. The former Chelsea man’s leadership was already in evidence though, and he was asked about Felix after the match, taking on press duties in his first match.

“It’s a complicated situation, I was his teammate at Chelsea, now at Atleti. Giving the maximum is what we have in our hands, giving the maximum for the club we represent, in this case Atleti. Grit your teeth and keep fighting, there is no other secret in football,” he told Diario AS.

Felix’s current situation is somewhat stuck, with no clear exit available to him. Yet there is such significant repairing of relationships required for Felix to integrate back into the side, that a departure would likely suit best.