‘Didn’t want to be helped’ – Joao Felix slammed by former team-mate after Chelsea sale

Robin Bairner

31 Jul 2025 11:20 BST
4 min read

Joao Felix hit the headlines this week as he left Chelsea for Al-Nassr in a move worth an initial €30 million.

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It was an agreement that has been conducted with a sense of regret. A player of massive potential, the 25-year-old has rarely shown it since completing a €127m move to Atletico Madrid from Benfica in the summer of 2019.

Chelsea gave him two shots, but Joao Felix was unable to profit from either opportunity and now one of his former team-mates has explained why he flopped in an explosive interview with Cadena SER.

Current ETV

João Félix

F (L), M (C)

João Félix

F (L), M (C)

ETV Range

€22.9M - €28M

What went wrong with Joao Felix?

Former Atletico Madrid team-mate Saul Niguez opened up on the Portugal international, claiming that he had poor work ethic and little desire to realise his potential.

“He has all the qualities to be an incredible player. And when he’s wanted to, he’s been an incredible player,” the Spain international said.

“We were watching him in training and thinking: ‘This kid, when he wants to… damn, he can handle anything he wants.’ He didn’t even seem strong, but he’s fast, technically incredible and has good finishing.

“But with all that, it’s not enough. I’m really sorry, but no matter how good you are, if you don’t work, if you’re not part of the group, no matter how much quality you have, how good you are, how much potential you have to be the best… football is about the team.

“Talent without work is worthless. It’s a shame because he was a very, very, very good player.”

© IMAGO - Joao Felix struggled at Chelsea

The midfielder personally tried to intervene to turn things around for the player.

“I helped him with many things, so that he would feel better, so that he would perform better, but then he says yes to everything and he’s not really understanding - there’s nothing more you can do. And you can’t force people who don’t want to be helped,” he said.

Saul suggested there were external issues hampering Joao Felix – even suggesting that Chelsea might have been a problem.

“Maybe it was his head, the people around him or teams that haven’t had the patience. There were many factors that didn’t work out for him,” he explained.

“The weight of pressure was so heavy, especially when you’re so young, and they tell you what they paid for you and that you have to be a world star.”

What now for Joao Felix?

He finds himself out of the spotlight in the Saudi Pro League, which may help to relieve some of the pressure that Saul claims he struggled to cope with.

Indeed, it could be argued that Al-Nassr is the perfect environment for his mentality.

Joao Felix will get to see first-hand how Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest professional in the history of the game when it comes to conditioning and preparation, works on a daily basis.

If Ronaldo can’t turn his career around, no one can.

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