Barcelona winger Raphinha has admitted he was close to leaving the club this summer. However, a personal call from new coach Hansi Flick convinced him to stay.
The Brazilian, who had a career-best season with 34 goals and 25 assists in all competitions, struggled for regular starts under former coach Xavi Hernandez and felt a lack of trust from the previous technical staff.
“I didn’t think it was just me, a lot of people wanted me to leave here,” Raphinha told SPORT. “The coach [Flick] had called me and told me that he was counting on me. That call was very important because it changed my way of thinking.”
Raphinha has since signed a new deal keeping him at Barcelona until June 2028. He is also set to feature in Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers next month.
