The Brazilian winger Raphinha has clearly stepped up his game since the start of this season. After having been linked with a move away from FC Barcelona in the last summer transfer window, the forward has grown to become an essential part of Hansi Flick’s team.
His influence on the pitch is not limited to goals and assists, but even his numbers are showing a significant improvement, as he has already scored 10 goals and provided 9 assists in all matches this season.
With these performances, the Brazilian is dispelling any doubts about his quality, which were present from the very start of his Barcelona career, especially as he had to co-exist and compete with another star player, Ousmane Dembele.
However, there were some individuals who never doubted his ability in the first place, and one such individual was Raphinha’s former coach at Vitoria de Guimaraes and Sporting Lisbon, Jose Peseiro.
The Portuguese coach appeared in an interview with SPORT, in which he talked about Raphinha in some detail, and recalled how he always knew he was a very good player:
“When Raphinha signed for Barça, everyone was asking me, ‘But how will Raphinha and Dembélé play together?’ And I would tell them, ‘Raphinha is a better player than Dembélé,’ and everyone would throw their hands up in disbelief [he smiles].”
“But I’ve always thought Raphinha is a much more complete player. He’s someone who defends, attacks, fights, presses—a player who ticks all the boxes of the modern footballer in terms of skill and ability. Do you get what I’m saying?”
These words from the Portuguese trainer are now proving to be correct, as Raphinha is shining in this Barcelona team, while Ousmane Dembele is not having a season to remember at Paris Saint Germain, the club he left the Blaugranes to join last year.
This season, the Frenchman has contributed 4 goals and 4 assists in 10 appearances, a tally significantly lower than that of Raphinha, even considering that Dembele is competing in a weaker Ligue 1.
