Under the orders of Hansi Flick, Raphinha has experienced his definitive explosion at FC Barcelona and has established himself as one of the great stars in the world of football. The Brazilian has scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists in the 34 matches he has played this season and is one of the key pieces in the team's recent success. However, his future could have been very different.
In an interview with 'France Football', the winger revealed how the German coach changed his destiny at the Catalan club. "When Hansi's appointment was made official, he called me and told me he counted on me, without having met me or seen me train. This was very important in my decision to stay. I knew I would be important for the team," he confessed.
Raphinha, however, wanted to remember Xavi Hernández and the importance he had in his arrival in the Catalan capital. "Despite the many rumors about my departure last season, Xavi kept telling me he counted on me. If he hadn't been the coach of Barcelona, I wouldn't be wearing this shirt that I have always dreamed of wearing. Xavi was convinced that with hard work, I could become an important player," he stated.
The Porto Alegre native also referred to his new role as one of the team captains. "A captain must fight in the good sense of the word: for the club, for the shirt he wears, for his teammates. He must aim for excellence, help the young and the veterans, and learn from them as well. Wherever I have gone, I have always tried to ensure that everyone felt good within the group," he commented.
The Ballon d'Or and the fight for LaLiga
'Rapha' reminisced about his origins and stated that "I am proud to write a beautiful story, knowing where I come from. I am who I am today thanks to everything I went through in my community. It allowed me to grow both personally and professionally," before speaking about the possibility of being chosen as the Ballon d'Or at the end of the season.
"It’s good that the Ballon d'Or is in the spotlight", he assured. Finally, the forward spoke about the fight for the LaLiga title and Barça's chances of lifting the trophy in May.
"Football is unpredictable, many things can happen from now until May. We have played well this season, especially in the Champions League. In La Liga we have been a bit worse, but we will try to fight for the trophy until the end," he concluded.