'It will be worse for me!' - Barcelona forward Joao Felix expects hostile reception on return to Atletico Madrid

The 24-year-old Barcelona forward, who is still currently contracted to Diego Simeone's side, has looked ahead to the upcoming clash against his parent club this weekend - where he is expecting a hostile reaction from Atletico fans. Felix has claimed the entire team will get a frosty reception from the home fans, however it will be 'worse' for him as he returns to the Wanda Metropolitano as a Barcelona player.

Speaking to DAZN, Felix said: "It's going to be a very complicated environment for the whole team. It's going to be a little worse for me, but I'm a football player and I want to be accustomed to this type of thing. It motivates me more, I enjoy these important matches, [they] have extra motivation."

Felix was signed by Atletico back in 2019 for a massive £113 million ($143m), which is their club-record fee for any player. However, after struggling to find his feet in Simeone's side during his time at the club, Felix opted to pursue temporary moves away. He first made an exit to the Premier League with Chelsea last season and now finds himself at Barcelona, where he has scored five goals across his 21 appearances - one of which arrived as the winner against Atletico back in December.

Felix will be hoping he can replicate his performance from December on Sunday evening, as Barcelona face Atletico in La Liga. He played just ten minutes off the bench during the last game against Napoli in the Champions League, so will be fresh for another fixture against his parent club. Following the clash against Atletico, Felix and his Barcelona team-mates will depart for international duty before returning with a game against Las Palmas on March 30.