When Barcelona originally signed Raphinha for Barcelona from Leeds, culers would’ve been forgiven for thinking how much of an underwhelming signing he would be.
Notwithstanding that he’d been a talisman for Leeds, with respect, the team from Elland Road aren’t the Catalan giants. In any event, getting behind the wide man was a prerequisite.
Under Xavi, however, being hooked in many games around the hour mark suggested that the manager never appeared to rate him, and there were very real expectations
at one stage that Raphinha would move on.
Step forward Hansi Flick; Barca and, evidently, Raphinha’s saviour.
No matter how good a player is, having the confidence of the coach is almost a guarantee of success, both in terms of output and commitment.
Witness the Raphinha we’ve seen under the German compared to when playing for the Barca legend, and it’s like critiquing two entirely different players.
The issue that Barca have now, of course, is that when the Brazilian isn’t playing, the Blaugranes really suffer.
In fact, when he’s on the pitch, Barca have won 91% of their games, and when he isn’t, that figure drops down to a paltry 60%.
It’s worth pointing out that in five of Barcelona’s six defeats in 2025/26, Raphinha hasn’t been available for selection.
Though one man doesn’t make a team, it’s true, there’s also a marked difference when he isn’t patrolling the channels for the side.
The energy with which Raphinha both creates chances and hunts opposition players down has been one of the major features of Flick’s Barca.
If the first line of defence is in attack, then the Brazilian has become Barca’s embodiment of that.
Marcus Rashford has also done unexpectedly well in this regard, and without that pincer movement down either flank or in behind the striker, the Catalans have often looked predictable up front.
Lamine Yamal’s skill set is entirely different on the opposite wing and the talented teen clearly remains a handful for opposition defences.
However, allied to the responsibility of taking the captain’s armband at times over the last two seasons, Raphinha’s contributions have to be given suitable acknowledgement.
He’s simply carried on his excellence from last season where he was a major part of Barca’s procession to the league title and the epic Champions League run that in any other season would’ve ended in a final berth at least.
With the World Cup just a few months away too, though Raphinha has nothing to prove to the national team selectors, playing at his best will clearly enhance his credentials… and benefit Barca in the meantime.
