Raphinha’s unexpected explosion of form has prompted many dissenting critics to apologise for the scathing comments tossed at the Brazilian last summer when many (including some inside the club) wanted him sold.
Yet it was Raphinha who said sorry after his latest blistering Champions League performance.
Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night was goalless when Pau Cubarsi flung his right boot towards a low cross in the 25th minute. Part of the ball was already over the goalline when Raphinha came blurring into view ,with the Brazil international ultimately apologising to his teammate for what he described as an “instinctive” lunge.
That dramatic intervention robbed Cubarsi of his first Champions League goal. For Raphinha, it was his 12th of the season. Two more assists in the 4-0 rout afforded the Brazilian a staggering haul of 19 direct goal contributions in 11 matches – the highest tally ever recorded in the competition by a Barcelona player.
Lionel Messi set that high watermark in 2011/12, with 14 goals and five assists during the most prolific campaign of his glittering career.
Only two players in Champions League history have ever boasted 20 or more goal contributions in a single campaign. Robert Lewandowski rattled in 21 (15 goals, six assists) when Bayern Munich lifted the big-eared trophy in 2020, while Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the feat on two separate occasions.
Raphinha has a maximum of four more Champions League games to either score or create four more goals to top Ronaldo’s all-time record.
During the tumultuous summer of 2024, one Catalan influencer posted a video of himself wearing Raphinha’s No 11 Barcelona shirt with Nico Williams’ name replacing the Brazilian. “I left a comment in that post because I think it was disrespectful,” the former Leeds United forward reflected after Williams rejected the chance to leave Athletic Club for Barcelona. “People need to keep their respect to the players from the club who try to do their best for the shirt.”
As Barcelona maintain their assault on three different competitions with Raphinha the team’s undisputed figurehead, there’s little chance of the Brazilian missing out on the respect he unapologetically deserves.