Reunited at AC Milan, Joao Felix and Sergio Conceição go back, way back.
Felix has signed for the Serie A giants on loan from Chelsea and he joins a coach he’s known personally since childhood.
The Portuguese striker used to room with the coach’s son Rodrigo Conceição during their time in Benfica‘s academy, and the two youngsters’ families even went on holiday together.
“In the first year I came to Benfica, I stayed in the room with Rodrigo,” he told BTV while playing in Lisbon.
“Since then I have created a very close relationship with him. Last holiday I was there with him, he is a five-star person.”
However, relations with Felix and his pal’s father soured in 2019 after a feisty Classico between Porto and Benfica.
The match was won 2-1 by Benfica with Felix scoring, and there were eight yellow cards and a red, with plenty of melees, unsurprisingly led by Porto stalwart Pepe who had his hand around an opponent’s throat.
At full-time when teams came onto the pitch there was still tension, and when Felix went to greet Conceicao and was brutally snubbed.
Reflecting on the incident, he said: “What happened there happened. I was hot-headed, it happens.
“Nobody wants to lose. It was an important game for the fight for the title… It happened.
“At the time I was a bit sad but things were resolved. Rodrigo explained to me why and everything turned out fine.”
Fine enough for the pair to start working together for the first time six years on…
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