At a time when he is shining as Barcelona's captain and top scorer, Brazil's Raphinha has revealed that he was one step away from leaving Camp Nou permanently in the summer of 2024. A single phone call from one man saved his career and changed his history with the Catalan club.
Raphinha opened his heart in an interview published by Britain's "The Guardian", revealing behind-the-scenes details of the moment that almost ended his story with Barcelona. He said it plainly: "Were it not for my conversation with Hansi Flick, I would not be here now at Barcelona."
"Flick changed my mindset forever"
The Barcelona captain stressed the pivotal role the German coach played in his transformation, saying: "The coach changed my life, I will always say this, forever, he is the person who changed my mindset, whether within the club or on a personal level."
Back in 2024, the winger had already made up his mind. "I had practically considered that my career at Barcelona was over, my mind was occupied with other matters, and I wanted to leave. Were it not for that conversation with Flick, and were it not for the fact that he convinced me within minutes that he was relying on me and trusted me, I would not be here now. That was extremely important to me."
On the details of that famous call, he explained: "I was still on holiday after the Copa America when he called me, and said: before you take any decision, come and let us talk. He told me he felt I would remain a very important player for the team, and that the team would have an important role in my development as a player. He did not give me a specific reason, and he did not need to explain everything in detail. When a coach inspires confidence, a few words are enough, and I immediately felt that he trusted me completely."
"Big brother" to Lamine Yamal
Raphinha spoke about his tactical shift into an out-and-out forward, a gradual process over the past two years. He drifted bit by bit into central areas to get closer to the opponent's goal, and it is now bearing fruit wonderfully.
He also touched on his special relationship with team-mate Lamine Yamal, describing himself as the youngster's "big brother" and strongly backing him to win the Ballon d'Or: "It should be won by the player who shines individually and wins collective titles. His magic and charisma are the main reasons. Lamine's statistics are astonishing, not just this season, but last season too. He is the front-runner and he should win it."
Asked about the absence of himself and Pedri from the individual award lists, he was brief: "I no longer talk about that. Lamine's win would be a consolation and a source of satisfaction for me."
Raphinha signed off with an ambitious message to Barcelona's fans about the Champions League: "Everyone who was on the pitch knows how painful the exit against Inter Milan was. We were one step away from the final, but we were a young team lacking maturity. Now we feel more ready, we have everything we need to win any title."