Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has preached patience with big-money signing Joao Felix ahead of his side’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Barcelona in Saudi Arabia.
The Portuguese forward, 20, has struggled to adapt to his new side since swapping Benfica for Atletico in July for a reported €126 million (Dh514m) – a fee that made him the fifth costliest player in history.
Felix has scored only twice in 15 La Liga appearances, registering a single assist in that time. In fact, he has failed to be directly involved in a goal in his past 11 hours of league football, despite Atletico sitting third in the standings.
However, when asked about the Portugal international on Wednesday night in Jeddah, 24 hours before his team take on Barcelona at King Abdullah Sports City for a place in Sunday’s final against Real Madrid, Simeone said: “Each player has a different personality, every player needs a different amount of time.
“We try to succeed in getting each one of [the new signings] to experience Atletico with enthusiasm and emotion, because apart from their talent they need commitment.
“When the feeling of playing for Atletico appears, things come naturally to everyone, just like [Stefan] Savic when he arrived, and Koke. I don’t speak of names, but of the way of living the football that we have had for a long time.”
Even though Felix has been struggling, Atletico enter Thursday’s match in fine form having won their past four matches in all competitions. Yet, seeking a third Super Cup crown and first in six years, they have not beaten Barcelona in nine meetings.
“We know the rival’s virtues, as they have always had them,” Simeone said. “Their attacking play and players’ individual moves end up breaking any collective work of their opponent.
“We go into the game with good momentum, with things to improve. Playing against the best in the world makes you stronger because you have to turn on the alarms from the start and the team grows and improves.
“It will be different from the league games because there is a direct elimination and only one result, which is to win. We understand it as an opportunity to continue growing as a club and team and to make our fans excited.”
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Barcelona train in Jeddah ahead of Super Cup
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
