It's an open secret. Something's happening to Raphinha. He has lost the focus from the first two-thirds of the season and is behaving strangely in recent days.
His records are impeccable. Far above what was desired of him, to the point of becoming a strong candidate for the Ballon d'Or.
Raphinha Superlative Throughout the Season
28 matches, 13 goals, and 8 assists in LaLiga. 10 matches, 11 goals, and 5 assists in the Champions League.
2 matches, 2 goals, and 1 assist in the Spanish Super Cup. Copa del Rey:; 4 matches, 1 goal, and 4 assists.
It can't be improved. Raphinha has done absolutely everything right during the season. On the field and off it, where he has become the team's leader.
But the call from the Brazilian national team and the clash against Argentina came. Raphinha was forced to act as captain and leader of Brazil, and he went overboard.
Changed During His Stay with Brazil
In an interview given to Romario, he said before the Brazil-Argentina match: "We're going to thrash them and I'm going to score, screw them."
🔥¡Raphinha aseguró que Brasil le dará una paliza a la Argentina y que convertirá un gol! 🤔🇦🇷🇧🇷
He added: "We have to thrash them on the field and off the field. In Argentina, you have to hit them, it hurts! They're bastards."
Such a reaction from their player wasn't desired in Barcelona. Chosen as captain for his mediating temperament to dialogue with the referees, he had never behaved that way.
Since his return from Brazil, nothing has been the same. He didn't play against Osasuna, his contribution was irrelevant in the Copa return against Atlético, and he was a substitute against Betis in the last match.
Flick Asks Him to Calm Down
Raphinha has changed overnight precisely when Barça is playing for all the titles. Hansi Flick is aware of the situation and had a conversation with him for almost two hours yesterday.
In it, he showed interest in his life, his problems, to try to find a solution. Flick asked him to calm down, focus on the game, and forget about off-field issues, including the referees.
Raphinha reassured the coach and promised that the scene where he rejected Flick himself and ended up pushing Ter Stegen when they only intended to calm him down wouldn't happen again.
The Brazilian star, as captain, has also apologized to his teammates for his bad moment. He has promised to return to being the player he was all season in the crucial match this Wednesday against Borussia Dortmund.
The last thing they want at Barça, especially Hansi Flick, is for Raphinha to become a new version of Vinícius. And for him to leave the matches for issues unrelated to soccer.