Barça is once again a victim of the FIFA virus. Raphinha suffers an injury to the right thigh's femoral biceps and will be out for around five weeks, as confirmed by Barça after the medical tests carried out by the Brazilian national team. The player was withdrawn injured from the friendly he played on Thursday with Brazil after feeling a twinge in the back of his right leg and will return to Barcelona in the coming hours to begin his recovery. ARA had already reported that the footballer's initial sensations were not good at all and everything pointed to a muscle tear. The club is unhappy with the calendar for scheduling friendly matches at this point in the season when teams are fighting for titles.

November 25, 2025. Raphinha returns after two months out. On September 25, he left the match against Oviedo, apparently with a minor hamstring injury. His absence lasted until the following month, when he was expected to return for El Clásico at the Bernabéu on October 26. Four days before, he suffered a relapse of the injury, forcing him to miss the game. It was a shock for the player himself, for Hansi Flick, and for the dressing room, all aware of the Brazilian's importance to the team. It was also a tough blow because this wasn't Raphinha's first relapse. As reportedThe AthleticThe attacker had already suffered a relapse of the same injury two weeks earlier, during the international break in October. Raphinha had been given an excessive workload in training too early, in order to be ready for the match against Real Madrid. His injury worsened, and in a private meeting with some journalists at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Flick admitted that they had overdone it. The diplomatic coach acted as a buffer against a growing distrust among several players towards Julio Tous, Barça's head of physical preparation, who this season had also been in charge of leading the players' rehabilitation. The friction had arisen regarding the players' rehabilitation, but the strength training sessions led by Tous, which a year ago had even caused some dizziness due to overexertion within the squad, also ended up losing intensity.

THE RAPHINHA INVENTION

Fifth in the Ballon d'Or voting and left out of the two ideal XIs for the other major football awards: FIFA's The Best and FIFPro's Team of the Year, the global organization representing professional footballers, comprised of more than 70 state players' unions and acting on behalf of over 70,000 players. Raphinha feels that, from afar, his extraordinary season with Barcelona hasn't been properly rewarded, even though it has been recognized, for example, by La Liga, which awarded him the Globe Soccer Player of the Year award, a less prestigious distinction. Those in the Barcelona dressing room maintain that this "injustice" will only fuel his determination to continue producing the best version of Raphinha.

Job done, 2025. A year of joy in which Barcelona fans have been energized by a team that has lifted trophies, connected with the supporters, and found a way to navigate turbulent waters when necessary. To close the year, a victory in Villarreal without fanfare (0-2), in a match where Pedri was sorely missed and a moment of madness from Renato Veiga, who got himself sent off when the home side were playing their best, proved useful. But it was a deserved victory, in which Raphinha set the pace and Lamine Yamal worked his magic. Flick can go on vacation satisfied, with a four-point cushion over a Real Madrid that seems to be gradually crumbling. Barça, on the other hand, has grown stronger as the season has progressed. The wind is blowing in the Blaugrana's favor, who this year have successfully implemented a generational change in goal. Just the week Ter Stegen returned to action in the Cup, Joan Garcia delivered one of his most complete performances, proving a nightmare for the home side. Every save he made demoralized Marcelino, but simultaneously warmed the hearts of Barcelona fans who have enjoyed a near-perfect year. Only the tragic night in Milan was a bitter pill to swallow.

Aitana Bonmatí has received the The BestThe award for best female player of 2025. After winning her third Ballon d'Or last September, the footballer from San Pedro de Ribes has received this accolade for the third consecutive time. Former Barcelona player Ousmane Dembélé received the award in the men's category, in which Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha were finalists. The ceremony was held in Qatar without any Barcelona players in attendance. PSG, however, was present, and they will play Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup final this Wednesday.

Following the defeat in London, Hansi Flick was emphatic in the press conference: "We will see a different Barça, I can promise you that."And he wasn't wrong. Since that 3-0 defeat at Chelsea, Barça has strung together five consecutive victories, allowing them to seize the lead in La Liga and keep alive their hopes of finishing in the top eight of the Champions League to avoid a knockout round (the play-offIn Europe, this is important given the tight schedule. The return of Joan Garcia, Pedri, and Raphinha—the backbone of Hansi Flick's Barça—has been key, but so has the team's defensive improvement, thanks to the stability of the center-back pairing. Without Iñigo Martínez, the German coach began the season searching for a left-sided center-back. With Pau Cubarsí a fixture in the heart of the defense—having missed only four matches this season—Araujo, Eric Garcia, and Christensen competed to see who could secure a starting spot alongside the player from Estanyol. The Uruguayan –now on indefinite leave– He has been the one who has accompanied the Catalan footballer from the start the most times, up to seven.The last time was at Chelsea's ground, when he was sent off for a second yellow card before halftime. Eric – who this season has played at full-back on both sides, center-back, and defensive midfielder – has started alongside Cubarsí five times, while Christensen has not started with the Girona native. Other pairings used by the German manager from the start were Eric Garcia with either Christensen or Araujo, each on two occasions, and the Uruguayan and the Dane, who started together against Real Sociedad.

Hansi Flick sat dejected and alone on the bench after defeating Alavés. The players seemed satisfied, and the president, Joan Laporta, was already heading down to the locker room to celebrate the club's 126th anniversary with a cake, but the coach didn't look pleased. Only the Brazilian Raphinha seemed to notice and went over to Flick to talk to him attentively. "After the final whistle, Raphinha told me the same thing as last time: that we're going to improve. That we'll do much better in the following matches," the coach explained.

Nobody has given Raphinha anything. The Brazilian, who returns to Stamford Bridge today (9 pm, Movistar), has had to work incredibly hard to become one of the icons of a Barça side dreaming of the Champions League. To achieve this, they need to secure three points in a difficult match, but one that holds fond memories for Barça fans. The draw away to Club Brugge leaves the Blaugrana with little room for error if they want to finish in the top eight of the group stage. Hansi Flick welcomes back the winger, a top-five finisher in the last Ballon d'Or and top scorer (13 goals) and assist provider (8) in the last Champions League.

"All professional players should have a bit of amateurism. I'm referring to the spirit a player develops when they play for nothing, without expecting any reward beyond victory. Raphinha is a clear example; he hasn't lost anything of what you achieve when you play for fun," said Marcelo Bielsa five years ago. In a working-class city that no tourist would ever set foot in if it weren't for football, Raphinha gave it his all by pursuing his dream: to succeed in football. Today he returns to a city similar to Leeds and Newcastle. Cities known for their football teams, or if lucky, for a musical group.

Hansi Flick decreed a week ago that a state of optimism was permitted.Dreaming is allowed"He said in English because at this point he's understood that continuing to act like a German is good for him and helps him and his team. This way, he avoids arguments and absurd controversies, answers what he wants and avoids what doesn't suit him. He is signing one of the most impressive pages of BarcelonaIn just nine months, he has been able to turn not only the squad, but also the atmosphere, a sense of darkness and long-standing obscurity, into light, joy, revelry, good play, and a sense of identity for an idea and players raised mainly in the Barça school.

Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Lewandowski only had one thing left to do. against Borussia DortmundThere was a moment in the match when they could have immortalized their relationship in football history and helped renew the walls of Catalan bars. But they squandered the opportunity. In the 77th minute, Lamine Yamal had just sealed the tie with a toe-kick finish, a blend of the skill of a futsal player and that of Ronaldinho at Stamford Bridge, and the three ran beyond the edge of the pitch to celebrate the goal. It then seemed as though the situation would end with a three-way hug while they displayed ecstatic smiles, like the members of Barça's last shining trident: the MSN of Messi, Suárez, and Neymar, who gave the Culera a gift on a distant night.

In Munich, Lisbon, Dortmund, and even in Saudi Arabia against Real Madrid's eternal rival. With a header, providing magical assists, or running 40 meters to win with his team, Raphinha always appears. The Barça striker has produced memorable performances this season: one hat trick against the Bavarian beast, a double in the Super Cup final against Madrid and Three goals for Porto Alegre in the aggregate of the tie against Benfica (4-1). The Brazilian striker is the one who puts in the most physical effort to take the win.