Barcelona’s incredible 7-2 Champions League victory over Newcastle on Wednesday night was cause for a double celebration for Hansi Flick.
His team made it through to the quarter-finals with an 8-3 aggregate success — and in the process his most important player announced he is fully back on form.
Raphinha was the absolute star of a great night of football at the Camp Nou. The Brazil forward was heavily involved in six of Barca’s goals; scoring two, assisting another two, he also won the penalty Lamine Yamal converted and took the free-back that ended up with Marc Bernal finding the net.
There was no question who was going to be named player of the match. Raphinha was involved in everything, he was everywhere. He just craves to be involved in every single department of the game, on and off the ball, and that makes him the most dependable player Flick has.
There’s not many Ballon d’Or-calibre individuals with that sort of commitment to the collective. Raphinha, 29, is not as talented as Yamal, nor as silky as Pedri in midfield. But nobody in the Barcelona squad has a greater impact on their general dynamic.
This season, however, Barca have had to wait a little to rediscover his very best version, especially after his return from a hamstring injury a month ago. It has been a priority within the backroom staff, but last week there were a few worries about it.
Raphinha had already missed nine matches earlier in the season, between September and November, because of another hamstring problem — Barca’s squad has suffered several such injuries this term, to various players.
When he came back from his latest fitness issues in late January, he went five La Liga games without scoring or providing an assist — only once completing 90 minutes — and in the first leg against Newcastle last week he was not at his best.
While several Barca players have been struggling to keep up with the hectic schedule, and some had too many games in their legs, it was decided that Raphinha had the opposite problem. He needed to play more.
On Sunday, when Barca hosted Sevilla in La Liga, Flick decided to heavily rotate his squad. Key figures Eric Garcia and Yamal were named on the bench, and Pedri played only 45 minutes — with the Newcastle return game in mind. But with Raphinha there was no hesitation: he had to start, and he played the whole match.
Raphinha and Yamal celebrating at the Camp Nou on Wednesday (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
Behind the scenes, Flick spoke to Raphinha and told him he wanted to help him get his confidence back, to make sure he returned to his best for the final stretch of the season. It could not have worked out any better, as the forward scored a hat-trick inside 51 minutes as Barca won 5-2.
Before last night, Raphinha had registered just one goal involvement in the Champions League this term — a stark contrast to the 13 he registered in 14 appearances in the competition last season, as Barca reached the semi-finals but lost to Inter.
Flick has never hesitated to say how much they’ve missed him during this campaign. In November, after Barca’s 3-0 league phase defeat at Chelsea, one that hit spirits hard, the 61-year-old manager was clear about what was going wrong.
“I have missed him a lot, of course,” he said of Raphinha at his post-match press conference. “He is one of the most fundamental players in our squad, who perfectly fits into our style and philosophy. He makes such an impact in our game. I know he wants to improve and show the world how good he is.”
Raphinha has said on multiple occasions that he feels undervalued in the football industry, especially when it comes to individual awards.
“Yes, I think I deserved much more recognition after last season,” Raphinha said at a press conference in November.
“In the end it’s something I can’t control, as it’s people and journalists voting on those awards. I try to control everything I do on a football pitch, and in there I believe I had a spectacular campaign. That’s enough for me.”
Flick has never been slow to back his player, saying a few weeks later that he could not get his head around the fact Raphinha wasn’t more valued. This opinion was supported by an opposition manager, Diego Simeone, who praised Raphinha when Atletico Madrid played at the Camp Nou in La Liga in December.
“I can’t understand why Raphinha did not win the Ballon d’Or. Honestly, I can’t,” Simeone said at a press conference. “He does everything, plays anywhere, scores all sorts of goals. If you ask me who’s the best, I’d always choose him.”
Despite his injuries, Raphinha’s stats this term still make for impressive reading. In 30 games he has 27 goal involvements (19 goals, eight assists) in all competitions. His influence on Barcelona seems without limit, and any claims of him being a one-season wonder have long been dismissed.
There is no guarantee he receives the recognition he feels he is owed. Raphinha might still suffer from being overlooked.
But as long as he stays fit, his peak version makes Barca a top contender for European glory, with Atletico up next in the quarter-finals.
