BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Raphinha knew he would have a hard time getting off Barcelona’s bench with the soccer world enthralled by teen phenom Lamine Yamal and the club eyeing to sign another hot prospect in the attack.
Instead of pouting, he evolved.
While the entire Barcelona team improved under new coach Hansi Flick, no player has made such a leap forward this season as Raphinha.
His 12 goals and team-leading 10 assists across all competitions are a big part of why Barcelona is playing its best soccer since the exit of Lionel Messi more than three years ago.
But if one player looked to be on the out when the season started, it was the Brazil forward.
Raphinha seemed destined to become a second-choice right-side winger after 17-year-old Yamal helped Spain win the European Championship in dazzling style. To make matters worse, the club was heavily linked to a possible transfer bid to pry Spain left-side winger Nico Williams away from Athletic Bilbao.
That move never materialized for Williams, but Raphinha was still left with either playing in a new position or being a backup to Yamal.
And when Flick gave him the chance to have a new role, he made the most of it.
“My mentality when I started this season was different from the prior ones because I knew that I had to adapt to play in other positions if I wanted to play for this club, and the truth is that I am happy with the result,” Raphinha said recently.
“If I had given it 100% before, then I had to give it 200% now.”
Flick must have seen something that predecessor Xavi Hernández apparently hadn’t. The former Baryen Munich coach let Raphinha start the season in a more creative role as a central attacking midfielder just behind striker Robert Lewandowski. Then when left-side forward Ferran Torres was injured and newcomer Dani Olmo started playing after a late-summer injury, Raphinha moved to the left flank.
He has excelled at both positions, and underscored his greater implication as a team leader by taking on the captaincy.
“The confidence coach has shown in me, and that of my teammates, has been key,” he said. “I am always ready to learn, whether from the more veteran players or the youngsters on the team.”
Raphinha scored 11 goals for Leeds in the English Premier League in 2022-23. Barcelona took note and made Raphinha a key part of a risky rebuild funded by the mortgaging of the club’s finances for the next two decades when it sold off part of future television rights and other assets.
But in the following two seasons Raphinha never reach 10 goals and fought for playing time in his natural position. Xavi ended up preferring Ousmane Dembele, now at Paris Saint-Germain, before Yamal’s breakout last year took the club, and Spain, by storm.
This season, the 27-year-old Raphinha has bagged the first two hat tricks of his career and risen to the occasion in the big matches. He put three past Bayern in a 4-1 win in the Champions League last month and scored once and assisted on another in a 4-0 rout at Real Madrid.
Raphinha is joint top scorer of the Champions League with five, the same tally as Lewandowski, Harry Kane, and Viktor Gyökeres. Raphinha also has three assists in Europe’s elite competition. The team’s fans are hoping they can at least have a shot at a title they last won nearly a decade ago in 2015.
In La Liga, Raphinha is tied with Villarreal’s Ayoze Pérez with seven goals as the nearest chasers of league-leading Lewandowski, who has 15. He has also delivered six assists in the domestic league, one fewer than teammate and league-leader Yamal.
Until now, his top qualities were considered to be his tireless work ethic, ability to pressure defenders to recover the ball, and his speed in open space.
But under Flick he has blossomed and become a more clinical finisher while also linking up well as a passer with Yamal and Lewandowski.
Flick has also praised his infectious energy among the squad, which includes several young players from Barcelona’s training academy.
“Raphinha is playing a decisive role in all the games,” Flick said. “He is brilliant. I love his intensity in the games and in training. A player like him, when he gives his all, spreads positive energy to the whole group.”
Raphinha and Barcelona visit Real Sociedad on Sunday with a six-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press
