Raphinha convinced to stay at Barcelona by Flick
Raphinha has revealed that head coach Hansi Flick convinced him to stay at Barcelona after he had considered leaving the club, having struggled to make an impression soon after his move from Leeds United.
The Brazilian believes that previous coach Xavi did not trust him, giving him just 17 starts during the 2023-2024 season in LaLiga compared to 32 the next season.
Raphinha has flourished under Flick, scoring 34 goals and registering 22 assists in all competitions – the second-most goal contributions and assists behind Mohamed Salah in Europe's top five leagues.
The 34 goals scored by the Brazilian, meanwhile were the equal fourth-most across Europe's top five leagues, while his 21 goal contributions in the UEFA Champions League equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most in a single season.
"Honestly, I didn't expect it. The personal goals I had were below these numbers... It has been the best season of my life," Raphinha told Spanish daily SPORT in an interview.
Raphinha conceded that neither he nor those around him saw him continuing at Barcelona before Flick arrived and persuaded him to stay.
"I didn't think it was just me, a lot of people wanted me to leave here. Many fans, maybe the board was not happy with what I was doing, many people. I am a person who thinks that if you are not welcome in a place, it is better not to be in it," he said.
"There is no point in banging your head against the wall. I know the way I dedicate myself to my profession and I knew that when the coach changed I had a new opportunity to show my potential and my way of working.
"The coach had called me and told me that he was counting on me. That call was very important because it changed my way of thinking. The only person who could stop me was him and he did."
Raphinha helped Barcelona reclaim the LaLiga title this season as well as the Copa del Rey, having beaten Real Madrid 3-2 after extra-time in the final.
Last week, he signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until June 2028 at least, while he has been called up to play against Ecuador and Paraguay next month for Brazil.
