Barcelona will complain to FIFA over Raphinha injury with compensation to be paid to La Liga champions

Barcelona are said to be angry after Raphinha returned from international duty with a right hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out of action for approximately five weeks. The injury occurred during Brazil's friendly 2-1 defeat to France in Foxborough. The club's medical staff confirmed the extent of the damage on Friday, leading to reports and frustration within the Spotify Camp Nou offices. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana intend to officially complain to FIFA to address the situation and express their anger over the injury occurring thousands of miles away in a non-competitive fixture.

While the sporting loss is the primary concern for Hansi Flick, Barcelona are eligible for financial compensation through the FIFA Club Protection Programme. This scheme provides payouts to clubs when players are injured on international duty and sidelined for a period exceeding 28 consecutive days. Given Raphinha’s estimated five-week absence, the governing body will be required to pay out. Based on the current calculations and the length of the lay-off, Barcelona could receive an indemnity of approximately €144,000 (£125,000/$166,000). However, this figure is considered a mere pittance by the club's hierarchy, as it does little to mitigate the impact of losing one of their most productive attackers during a critical run of fixtures in both domestic and European competitions.

The timing could not be worse for Hansi Flick, who has relied heavily on the 29-year-old's output this term. Raphinha has been in scintillating form, particularly noted for a clinical hat-trick against Sevilla and a brace in a 7-2 rout at home to Newcastle United just before the break. Without his work rate and clinical finishing, the German manager must now find a way to navigate a congested April schedule with a depleted frontline.

The most devastating consequence of the injury is Raphinha’s absence from the Champions League quarter-finals. He is certain to miss both legs of the continental showdown against Atletico, scheduled for April 8 and April 14. Should Barca qualify, Raphinha could also miss the semi-final first leg, and potentially the second leg too. Additionally, his recovery timeline means he will likely sit out five crucial La Liga matches as Barca look to protect their lead at the top of the table.