Raphinha has revealed just how close he was to leaving Barcelona and how Hansi Flick convinced him to stay at the Camp Nou.
The Brazil international almost departed in 2024 as Barca chased Nico Williams from Athletic Club. The Catalans missed out on the forward and Flick also did his bit to keep Raphinha at the club.
“In my head, I knew I was leaving,” Raphinha told The Guardian. “That was [mentally] done, that’s the truth. I was in Brazil and Flick called. He said come talk to him before taking a final
decision. I met him and he said he trusted in me, that I was going to be important, that the team’s play would be good for me.
“In a moment like that, a few small words can change you. I felt a lot of faith in me. He gave me the confidence to play my football. I got an idea into my head: give everything, your life, regardless of the personal moment you’re in.”
Raphinha has since gone on to play a crucial role for the club and now captains the side. Flick made Raphinha his skipper but the players had also previously voted to have him in the leadership group, something that clearly means a lot to the Brazilian.
“People could see something in me I didn’t realise was there, and that’s changed me. Before being captain, I didn’t know how much I would like it. Having that responsibility has also changed my mentality, helped me. I never thought I’d like being Barcelona captain so much. You feel you matter. It’s an honour. It’s not just wearing the armband,” he added.
“I talk less than most captains but I know people are watching. They think: ‘If this guy’s running like an animal, I have to follow.’. If you talk too much and then don’t do what you have to, people aren’t going to listen.”
Raphinha now looks set to spend the rest of his career at Barcelona after agreeing a new contract with the club that will run until 2030.
