Raphinha knew that it would be difficult for him to leave the Barcelona bench with the football world enthralled by the prodigy Lamine Yamal and the club’s intentions to sign another young promise in attack.
Instead of complaining, the Brazilian attacker got to work.
Although the entire Barcelona team has improved under new coach Hansi Flick, no player has made as big a leap this season as Raphinha.
His 12 goals and 10 assists, which have him as the team leader in all competitions, have been essential for Barcelona to be showing its best football since the departure of Lionel Messi more than three years ago.
But if there was one player who seemed to have one foot out at the start of the season it was Raphinha.
He seemed destined to become a second option on the right wing, after Yamal, 17, stood out as Spain won the European Championship. To make matters worse, it was speculated that the team had submitted a transfer offer to snatch Spanish left winger Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao.
Williams’ signing never materialized and Raphinha was left with the option of changing positions or being Yamal’s backup.
And when Flick gave him the opportunity to have a new role, he made the most of it.
“I started this season a little different from others, I knew I had to adapt to playing other positions to play with this club and the truth is I’m very happy,” Raphinha said recently.
“If before I had given 100%, now I have to give 200%.”
Flick must have seen something that his predecessor, Xavi Hernández, apparently missed. The former Bayern Munich coach allowed Raphinha to start the season with more creative duties as an attacking midfielder just behind striker Robert Lewandowski. Then, when left winger Ferrán Torres was injured and newcomer Dani Olmo started playing after a late summer injury, Raphinha moved to the left wing.
He has stood out in both positions and has underlined his greater involvement as a team leader as captain.
“For me, the trust that the mister (the coach) transmits to me, the confidence that he transmits to the players, is very important,” he indicated.
Raphinha scored 11 goals for Leeds in the Premier League in the 2022-23 season. Barcelona took note and signed Raphinha as a key part of their risky rebuild, which was financed by mortgaging the club’s finances for the next two decades when it sold some future television rights and other assets.
But in the next two seasons Raphinha never reached 10 goals and struggled for playing time in his natural position. Xavi ended up opting for Ousmane Dembélé, who is now at Paris Saint-Germain, before Yamal’s emergence last year took the club and Spain by storm.
This season, Raphinha, 27, has scored the first two hat tricks of his career and has been up to the task in the big games. He scored three goals against Bayern in a 4-1 victory in the Champions League last month and scored one and assisted on another in the 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the classic.
Raphinha shares the lead in the Champions League scoring charts with five goals, along with Lewandowski, Harry Kane and Viktor Gyökeres. Raphinha also has three assists in Europe’s top competition.
The team’s fans hope that they will at least have a chance to fight for the continental title they last won almost a decade ago, in 2015.
In La Liga, Raphinha is tied with Ayoze Pérez (Villarreal) with seven goals as the closest pursuers of league leader Lewandowski, who has 15. He has also contributed six assists in the domestic league, one less than his teammate and league leader, Yamal.
Until now, his main qualities were his tireless work ethic, his ability to pressure defenders to win the ball back and his speed in open spaces.
But he has taken a step forward under Flick, as well as partnering with Yamal and Lewandowski in the passing circuit.
Flick has also praised his infectious energy within the team, which includes several young players from Barcelona’s academy.
“Raphinha is playing a decisive role in every game,” Flick said. “It’s brilliant. I love his intensity in training games. A player like him, when he gives his all, radiates positive energy to the entire group.”
Raphinha and Barcelona visit Real Sociedad on Sunday with a six-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.
