Barcelona captain Raphinha aims subtle dig at Xavi as Brazilian flourishes under Hansi Flick
Raphinha serves a brutal reminder to his former coach at Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez after a sensational run in the ongoing season.
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Raphinha with both Xavi and Hansi Flick (image courtesy: X)
One of the key Brazilian sensations who has found his scoring boots in the ongoing season for both Brazil and Barcelona, Raphinha took a sharp dig at his former boss, Xavi Hernandez. The relationship between the two seemed at cross-currents during the latter’s coaching reign at Camp Nou. However, a change in personnel in the form of Hansi Flick taking over the reins of the club unleashed the fury in Raphinha and since then he has been back to his unstoppable best.
Raphinha didn’t really get as many minutes as he would have expected in the last season. He would mostly be subbed around the hour mark as Xavi Hernandez, the erstwhile coach of the Catalans, would be bringing on his own set of players to take over the tempo. However, with the introduction of Hansi Flick and the greater number of minutes under his belt, the Brazilian marksman has been involved in 19 goals and assists in the ongoing season.
It’s not a criticism of Xavi. But with him, I knew I was going to be subbed off in the 60th minute. I tried to do everything in those 60 minutes, but nothing worked. And other times, when things did work, I was taken off anyway.
Raphinha told in an interview with El Pais
Raphinha: "With Xavi, I knew that no matter what I did, I would be taken off in the 60th minute. This is not a criticism of him, but it's funny because it always happened." pic.twitter.com/TXdmx5Rii7
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) November 2, 2024
In the last season, Raphinha had only 17 starts and came off the bench on 11 occasions. Owing to his dwindling numbers under Xavi, the Brazilian did cop a significant amount of vitriol from the fans. Raphinha also shared that there were rumours in the dressing room that no matter what he did, at the end of the day, there was a growing sensation that he would be sold.
Raphinha called the entire Barcelona team protagonist and not just himself
What has been an incredible season for Raphinha so far, has also turned out to be a sensational one for Barcelona. As the good times roll for both, Raphina has underlined the fact that it isn’t just him who is the protagonist of this captivating rise.
The entire team is to be lauded, citing the example of, the way scoring 10 goals is an achievement, similarly, the entire team comes together to defend 10 goals.
Raphinha found himself on the scoring sheet again as Barcelona kept their grasp firm on the table-top with another stunning win over Espanyol. With 11 wins from 12 matches and a tally of 33 points, the Catalans have carved open a lead of nine points between them and their closest pursuer, Real Madrid even though the latter has a game in hand.
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Rohit Ganguly
(509 Articles Published)