'Completely Out of It!' - Joao Felix's New Coach Tears Into Portugal Star After Disgraced Chelsea Exit

Joao Felix's Al-Nassr debut has drawn criticism from his new manager, Jorge Jesus, following the Portuguese forward's departure from Chelsea.

Felix joined the Saudi Arabian club after spending the latter half of last season on loan at AC Milan, having struggled to secure a regular spot under then-Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.

Maresca previously explained his decision, stating: "He has been very good with us. It’s just a matter of my decision. We need defensive balance, and when you have so many attacking players, you can concede goals and I don’t like that."

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Felix's move to the Middle East came as a surprise, as he had been linked with a return to Benfica, with manager Bruno Lage reportedly eager to reunite with him.

On Wednesday, Felix started for Al-Nassr in a friendly against Toulouse. After playing 59 minutes, Jesus critiqued his performance.

"Today I saw his first training match, and he’s completely out of it," Jesus said following Al-Nassr’s 2-1 win. "He needs to prepare better, especially since he hasn’t been training much. This is only his third training session with us. But I believe in his talent and am confident he will return to the player he was at Benfica."

Once hailed as a rising star after his breakthrough at Benfica and a £111 million move to Atletico Madrid in 2019, Felix's career trajectory has taken a turn.

His former Atletico teammate, Saul Niguez, now at Flamengo, commented on their time together: "Football is a team game," he told El Partidazo de COPE (via A Bola).

"He has all the qualities to be an incredible player, but no matter how good you are, if you don't work, it's worth nothing. I heard a phrase from Paco Jemez that said that talent without work is nothing. We tried to help Joao, but if the person doesn't want to [be helped]..."

At 25, Felix joins a growing list of former Chelsea players moving to the Middle East, including Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, and Angelo Gabriel.