Raphinha's shot at Xavi Hernández: "Hansi Flick cares about his players"

Raphinha is one of Barça's most important players this season. Despite having been with the Catalan club for three seasons now, the Brazilian winger didn't fully explode until the 2024/2025 season , something the player attributes to the man who previously occupied the Barça bench,Xavi Hernández .

"When there was no one else, I was there, and I played 90 minutes. And I gave it my all, I won matches. But when there was someone else who could have played in my position, I would put him in without thinking ," Raphinha said in an interview with journalist Isabela Pagliari.

The Brazilian footballer recalled the Europa League knockout stage in which FC Barcelona were eliminated by Manchester United, in his first year as a Barça player: "I was the first to be substituted, I couldn't believe it," as he scored a goal and provided an assist.

The Brazilian believes he wasn't a priority for Xavi Hernández: "I felt like neither he nor the coaching staff trusted me," a situation that has changed radically with the arrival of Hansi Flick. "He cares about the players," said the winger, who signed up for Barcelona's new project during the Copa América, when the German called him while he was considering moving to Saudi Arabia after having spoken with Neymar.

Raphinha, a dual Brazilian and Italian, stated that he was close to playing for Italy at Euro 2020 (held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic). " I was close to playing for the Italian national team in the Euros they won . I was supposed to go, it was practically a done deal. Luckily, my passport didn't arrive," and his international career has since led him to become one of the key players in the Canarinha, although without a title yet.