Raphinha confesses: “I thought about leaving Barcelona”
In an interview, the ‘blaugrana’ player revealed what made him stay in Catalonia, recalled his arrival in Europe and also addressed the subject of the Ballon d’Or
A key player in Barcelona ‘s strategy , Raphinha is having the best season of his career. With 27 goals and 20 assists in 42 games, the Brazilian – who played for Sporting and V. Guimarães – has been a standout for the Blaugrana . However, things could have been very different.
In an interview with Globo Esporte , the winger admitted that he thought about leaving Catalonia before Hansi Flick arrived.
“Things weren’t going well. I had just finished a season that wasn’t up to par and I saw people asking me to leave, that I wasn’t good enough for the club, and every day there was news that I was going to leave. I ended up thinking about leaving,” he began by saying, then revealing the reason that made him stay at Camp Nou.
“After the Copa América, Hansi called me and said that I should come to training before making any decisions, that he wanted to talk and that he was counting on me. That was an important factor in the decision to stay. When I spoke to my wife, I told her that if he was a fair man and saw the players’ performance in training, I would give him a week to like me as a player and that he wouldn’t regret it. I think everything went well,” he added.
«When I had the opportunity to go to Europe, I didn’t think twice»
A product of Avaí, Raphinha arrived in Europe in 2016, through Vitória de Guimarães . Now 28 years old, the Brazilian star recalled that moment: «I had a goal, which was to make a career in Europe. When I had the opportunity to go to Europe, I didn’t think twice. It was what I wanted. I knew that I would have to win over not only them [Europeans], but also the Brazilian people.»
«And the way I have been working and giving my all, people are starting to recognise it. It’s like that with everyone. Working hard, showing that you are there for the shirt you wear and then the recognition starts to come», said the winger, who also had spells at Rennes and Leeds .
«Ballon d’Or is not a goal»
Finally, the Barca player was asked about the Ballon d’Or, but he assured that he does not think about the award: «I try not to think about it. I try to do what I did at the beginning of the season, with focus and objectives. Obviously, I have my personal objectives and I try to achieve them. To be completely honest, the Ballon d’Or was not a personal objective. My objectives are to score goals, make assists and win titles with Barcelona and the national team.»
“When things are going well for the club and the national team, it’s natural for individual performances to stand out. The fact that I’ve been named as one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or is already a victory, after everything I’ve been through in my career. Just being there is already a victory. It’s something I try not to think about too much, I focus on football. Game by game, training session by training session,” he concluded.
