AC Milan suffered a 1-0 home defeat against Atalanta last night, leaving them in ninth place in the Serie A table.

This result has dimmed the Rossoneri’s hopes of securing a European qualification spot, and their best chance now lies in winning the Coppa Italia, where they will face Inter in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Italian media heavily criticized the performance of Milan’s players after the match, but João Félix, the Portuguese winger, received the most attention.

Félix, who came on as a substitute in the final 15 minutes, delivered an utterly ineffective performance and failed to influence the game. Corriere della Sera wrote in a scathing critique: “Bringing him on was a disappointing move that didn’t pay off. A failed gamble—he can happily return to where he came from.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport added: “He came on for Alexis Jiménez to add more quality and creativity to the team, but his 15-minute appearance was more like smoke than fire! This display perfectly reflects his season with the Rossoneri.”

João Félix, who joined Milan on a six-month loan deal worth €5.5 million from Chelsea during the winter transfer window, has played 14 games for the club, scoring only one goal and providing one assist.

He had a promising start, scoring in his debut match during Milan’s 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Roma, but he has since faded and failed to meet expectations. These harsh criticisms reflect the deep disappointment of the media and fans with the Portuguese winger’s performance at Milan.