Barcelona superstar Raphinha revealed that his substitution in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United in February 2023 led to his viral outburst against Xavi’s decision. The Brazilian also disclosed that Xavi never believed in him and always substituted him without evaluating his impact on the pitch.
In a recent interview, Raphinha spoke about his outburst and challenges under Xavi’s reign as Barcelona’s boss. He said (via Barca Universal):
The Brazilian added:
In his first two seasons at the Camp Nou, Raphinha couldn’t impact the attack as widely expected. This could be connected to his situation with Xavi, which might have affected him mentally.
However, the Brazilian has been lethal under Hansi Flick’s management in recent stints. Raphinha has contributed 31 goals and 25 assists in 51 appearances this season, as opposed to 10 goals and 13 assists in 37 games in Xavi’s final season.
This indicates a progressive transformation that has arguably put him in a solid position in the race for the Ballon d’Or.
Barcelona’s left-winger has revealed that he would give himself a 7.5/10 rating in the current season. The former Leeds United forward his rating could change at the end of the campaign.
Raphinha was asked by the host to rate his performance this season in a recent interview. He said (via Barca Universal):
The Brazilian has arguably been the most influential due to his decent blend of finishing and creativity among Barca’s front three attackers. His intuition will be heavily needed when Barca takes on Inter Milan in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal tonight (May 6).
The first leg of the semi-finals, which was played in Barcelona, ended 3-3 as neither side refused to back down.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder’s ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese’s tactical mind. He feels France’s triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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