Raphinha had been tipped to be handed a rest by Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil’s clash with Bolivia but ended up playing half an hour at altitude on Tuesday.
The game ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Selecao – who have already qualified for the World Cup – and saw Raphinha cut a frustrated figure after the game.
“The moment a team makes you play at 4,000 meters in order to win the game, I think that puts the other teams at a disadvantage. And then, a close game where the referee awarded a penalty, that makes the game even
more complicated,” he told reporters.
“We struggled a bit, especially at the beginning of the competition. We won the first two games, but then struggled midway through. Our main goal was to qualify for the World Cup, and we achieved that. Now we have to keep working to reach our best moment in the World Cup.”
Meanwhile, Brazil’s use of Raphinha in the game is unlikely to go down too well with Barcelona, particularly as Real Madrid stars Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo and Éder Militao weren’t even called up for the clash.
