Raphinha’s remarkable season has positioned him as a frontrunner for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award. The Brazilian winger has not only showcased his impressive skills on the field but played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s success, which includes topping LaLiga and advancing through the Champions League. Raphinha’s tallied an outstanding 28 goals in all competitions on the year. He has inarguably made himself an invaluable slugger for his club.
While Barcelona is still atop LaLiga after Raphinha’s contributions has gone a long way in putting them in that position. Even greater than his performances this season in the Champions League was his standout performance against Borussia Dortmund lagging near the bottom in the table. The former Leeds United defender can’t wait for Saturday’s Copa del Rey final. This event just further amplifies the excitement around what he’s accomplished this season.
Raphinha’s statistics speak volumes about his form.…he’s actually sprinted over 10 percent more than any other regular Premier League player. Given that this was a fanless season, this is even more remarkable. This tremendous commitment and work ethic has impressed his coaches. His first coach at Avai, Diogo Fernandes, made an immediate impression upon realizing Raphinha’s unusual skill set and work ethic. He would tell people that, “He was the best I ever worked with.”
Plus, Raphinha’s finishing ability—with an embarrassing lot of one-on-one chances converted against goalkeepers—has been off the charts. Vitor Campelos, one of his former coaches, made a similar observation. As he observed, “Right off the bat, his finishing technique was off the charts in terms of ability to finish one-on-one situations against the goalie. It was unusual.” His shot creation and accuracy have made him one of the most dangerous scorers in the country. This season, he has created almost more than double the amount of one-on-one opportunities as any other player in LaLiga.
Raphinha’s style of play is sometimes characterized as anarchic, the chaos that some use to deride as a funhouse mirror. Many pundits argue that this style is the key to Barcelona’s attacking philosophy. Marcelo Bielsa, one of the elite coaches who has worked with Raphinha, offered this view on the Brazilian’s distinctive dribbling style. “His game is always going to be anarchic, but you require that streak of anarchy in a team.” This volatility and unpredictability is key in his ability to produce opportunities and break defensive shapes, often directly benefiting his teammates from this value.
And despite the incredible pressures that come with playing for a club the size of FC Barcelona, Raphinha has taken to his task with both eagerness and success. He’s an elite striker feeder, and he scores a ton of goals as a striker, too. These innate abilities thus far have made him irreplaceable for Barcelona. His dedication on and off the pitch has been acknowledged by numerous coaches, including Bielsa, who praised his work ethic: “His commitment was amazing. He was pressuring to create turnovers, not just covering space to contain.
And as Raphinha does great things in his new guise, the expectations for what he can do keep piling up. Andrés Clavijo, Raphinha’s former coach, expressed confidence in his abilities: “I had no doubt that he would come good.” According to Clavijo, managing to relax and be himself would allow Raphinha to flourish in a high-pressure environment like Barcelona.
Additionally, at 28 years old, Raphinha is considered a more seasoned player who could transition to play multiple forward roles. Vitor Campelos pointed out this flexibility: “He can play in any of the [forward] positions.” Such versatility makes him a more valuable asset to Barcelona as they look to continue their domestic dominance and return to the top of the UCL.
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