Cristiano Ronaldo 'Successor' Better Suited For Real Madrid Than Current Club, Coach Says

Cristiano Ronaldo’s touted Portuguese “successor” may be a better fit for Real Madrid than his current side.

Before even making his debut in LaLiga, former Benfica ace Joao Felix has long been dubbed as the “next Ronaldo.” It was Atletico Madrid who won the race for Felix and paid a stagerring €120 million ($135 million) for his exit. However, in his first season with Atletico, Felix was heavily criticized for not being able to live up to the hype.

In a recent talk with “Play Fútbol” of “Cadena SER,” (via Besoccer.com), Rio Ave's coach Carlos Carvalhal gave his genuine opinion on Felix’s career. According to Carvalhal, though it is quite early to assume, he’s not sure about the chemistry between Felix and Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese coach noted that the skillset Felix has would be developed more in Real Madrid.

"I'm not sure if Atletico's way of playing is the best for him. If (Felix) went to a team like Real Madrid, he would be playing at a higher level. The context would be more favorable for him," Carvalhal said.

Carvalhal then emphasized that he doesn’t want to create any kind of controversy between Atletico management and Felix. The veteran coach lauded Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Pablo Simeone for being a great coach but insisted that “ Felix doesn't seem like the perfect player to be there.”

This wasn’t the first time Felix has received feedback about his decision to play for “El Atleti.” Just recently, former Paris Saint-Germain and Felix’s fellow Benfica player Valdo also shared his thoughts about the subject.

Like Carvalhal, Valdo thinks Felix would have been better off with other clubs than Atletico Madrid. But unlike the coach, Valdo sees Felix also getting along well with Lionel Messi in Barcelona or in the Premier League.

“As an ex-Benfica player, 'I'm a big fan of Joao Felix. He's a very intelligent and technical player, who is also quick at executing his actions. In my opinion, they aren't the best team for him. I see him more at Barca, Real Madrid or Manchester City,” Valdo predicted.

After a series of adversities this season, Felix has remained positive about his situation. He previously admitted that he likes it when he hears positive feedback from social media and hated the negative ones. And despite dealing with the burden of being compared to Ronaldo, Felix insisted that he is now doing fine and moving on from it.

"At one point I stopped following them (social media) and I have not done it again. At the moment, I am fine now, moving from the Portuguese to the Spanish league," Felix said.