- Raphinha admitted he considered leaving Barcelona last summer
- New coach Hansi Flick’s phone call convinced him to stay
- The Brazilian finished the season with 34 goals and 24 assists
Key Takeaways:
Barcelona’s Brazilian forward Raphinha has once again confirmed that he had considered leaving the club last summer, but a conversation with newly appointed head coach Hansi Flick changed his mind. In an interview with Spanish newspaper Sport, the former Leeds player said he had been disappointed with how previous Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez treated him, accusing him of lacking trust.
🇧🇷 Raphinha: “Honestly, I didn’t expect to reach 34 goals and 25 assists.”
— “ The goals I set for myself were lower than these numbers.”
— “Scoring this many goals, providing this many assists, and helping the team makes me very happy — in the end, this is making history.” pic.twitter.com/Mc9Uj5eCso
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) May 29, 2025
In this season, which was Flick’s first in charge of Barca, the team won the league title, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. Raphinha was a key figure in achieving those successes, scoring 34 goals and providing 24 assists.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to reach 34 goals and 25 assists. The goals I set for myself were lower than these numbers. But this season was the best of my career,” he said.
“I think not only I, but also the people around me thought I would leave. The fans were unhappy, the board wasn’t impressed with my performance, but I knew that with a new coach coming in, I’d have another chance to show my potential,” Raphinha added.
“Flick called me and told me he was counting on me. That call was very important to me because it changed my mindset,” the player said.
Last week, Raphinha signed a new contract with Barcelona that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2028.