Raphinha‘s story at FC Barcelona has been truly inspirational. Until last season no one would have imagined that the Brazilian would be the leading candidate for the Ballon d’Or. However, it has become a reality this season as Raphinha has been brilliant for Barca and performing when it matters most. In a recent interview, Raphinha revealed how he wanted to leave Barcelona after the heartbreaks of last season but there was one person who convinced him to stay.
Raphinha: “I was thinking about leaving Barça after the Copa AmĂ©rica because I wasn’t feeling mentally comfortable until Flick called me. That period was very hectic… every day, there were rumours about me signing for one team or another. Things didn’t go as they should have; I had a worse season than expected, and I saw people asking me to leave while reports of my departure surfaced daily. I seriously considered leaving.
“Flick called me and asked me to come to training before making a decision because he wanted to talk to me and counted on me. That was a turning point in my decision to stay. I spoke with my wife and told her, ‘If this man is fair and sees the effort I put into training, I’ll make him want me in a week, and he won’t regret it.’ And I think I was right.”
Since then Raphinha has not looked back and now has 50 G/A this season so far. A hat trick against Bayern, crucial goals against Benfica, and three goals and two assists in two El Clasicos. Whenever Barca needed their star man to shine, Raphinha stepped up and delivered. If Raphinha does win the Ballon d’Or it will be an inspiration for the youth and a reminder that hard work always pays off.