Barcelona isn't willing to allow Brazil to overload one of its most important footballers with unnecessary minutes. Raphinha's case has set off alarms at the blaugrana club.
This is especially true because Carlo Ancelotti, in his first draft as Brazil's head coach, seemed determined to push the blaugrana winger to the limit. Meanwhile, he was giving generous rest to players linked to Real Madrid.
At Camp Nou, they consider it unacceptable to use meaningless matches to wear down a key player for Hansi Flick. That's when Deco, the club's sporting director of Brazilian origin, stepped in and set things straight.
Ancelotti's debut with Brazil
The Italian coach was facing his first international break in charge of the "canarinha." This stage began with excitement in the South American country.
In his list, Ancelotti made a controversial decision: he left out Vinícius, Rodrygo, Militao, and Endrick, all of whom had scheduled rest.
However, he didn't apply the same logic to Raphinha. He started him against Chile and planned to do the same against Bolivia, in a match that was meaningless for Brazil.
Deco's move
At Barça, they saw this gesture as clear double standards. Real Madrid players were enjoying recovery minutes. The blaugrana was being exposed to physical overexertion that could take its toll in La Liga and Champions League.
Deco, who keeps close contacts within the Brazilian Football Confederation, decided to act. The club executive made a call in which he made it clear that Raphinha can't be used as a bargaining chip for wear and tear.
Even less so in matches with no competitive value. The message was firm: Ancelotti had to reconsider.
Ancelotti backs down
The head coach took note. Although the initial idea was to start Raphinha again against Bolivia, in recent hours the plan changed. In principle, the blaugrana winger won't start and will get the rest that was demanded from Barcelona.
The decision represents an institutional victory for Barça. Deco has managed to assert himself in a scenario where the interests of other jerseys usually prevail. He has made it clear that he won't allow Barça to be the main victim of international drafts.
Deco has demanded for Barça players the same treatment as those from Real Madrid.
A warning for the future
This episode also serves as a warning for the future. Ancelotti, who has taken on the challenge of leading Brazil, knows he can't give the impression of acting as if he were still an employee serving Florentino Pérez.
In Barcelona, they will closely monitor every move, convinced that their players will receive the same treatment as those from Real Madrid. What happened with Raphinha is only the first battle in a struggle that promises to be repeated.