The decision that could have changed Raphinha's life

Special correspondent in LondonNobody 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.

Raphinha's path has been quite different from that of many other Brazilians who make the leap directly to Europe's giants. Until arriving at Barça, he was virtually unknown to the general public. Born in Porto Alegre, He suspended the entrance exams for Gremio and Internacional, of which he is a supporter, due to "escarransit"He tried his luck at several clubs in different states and ended up at Avaí in Florianópolis, where he played in the Copa São Paulo de Juniors, the country's most prestigious youth tournament, before making the leap in February 2016 to Vitória de Guimarães in the Portuguese league, where he turned professional. Former Brazil coach Tite was impressed by his speed and hard work as a winger. One of his greatest strengths is his pressing, a skill he displayed both at Leeds and at Barcelona, who have missed him. He is also known for his shooting, a quality that took some time to fully develop at Barcelona in his early days. "It was a sight to behold watching him train. The way he described it, the goals he scores with shots from outside the box... But it's true that, in the first part of the season, he couldn't translate that to matches. He lacked luck in front of goal. Things weren't going his way," a source from the previous coaching staff recalled to ARA. In his first year, the Brazilian had an inconsistent season. His late adaptation ultimately took its toll, often playing on the left wing, a position he initially disliked – Dembélé played on the right – but which he eventually made his own under Flick, a key figure in preventing Raphinha from leaving the club last summer.

Before playing in the Premier League and for Barça, he had played for Sporting Lisbon and Stade Rennais, from where he would make the leap to Leeds for €19 million. Until then, Raphinha was an unknown player: he didn't give many interviews. After his second season with Leeds and under the representation of Deco – with whom the club would later pull strings to pay him the transfer commission when he was about to become sporting director – things would change. Until then, Raphinha hadn't been a player who was "at the top of the list of players we were following," a former Barça employee told ARA. "He was a good player, we had him on our radar since he moved to Portugal, but we followed him like others," he added. Without Deco's influence, his arrival cannot be understood.

"Raphinha is among the best in Leeds' history"

"Raphinha needed a bigger stage than Rennes and he got it at Leeds. However, we all soon wondered why Rennes sold him for only €19 million. Leeds haven't had a better player in the last 20 years. He would be in a conversation about the best players in their history," explains journalist Phil Hays, a Leeds institution, to ARA. "His boss had always prioritized Barça, so he decided to wait for them despite Barça's complicated financial situation. Leeds, on the other hand, were more than happy to accept Chelsea's offer," Hays recalls. "They had doubts about Barça's ability to meet the asking price; they were sure that Chelsea could fulfill their obligations (they already had the €60 million transfer fee ready)." But Raphinha was never willing to let the Barça option slip away.

He explained it himself: "I rejected Chelsea because my dream was to play for Barça." He also revealed that Neymar told him he wouldn't regret going to Barça. Last season he was near perfect as a Blaugrana, with 34 goals and 26 assists in 54 matches. Now he's just in time for the match against the team that almost became his home. He's recovered, but the process has left him feeling apprehensive. "I would have come to Barça sight unseen. It was my goal. Now I'm at Stamford Bridge wearing the Barça shirt," he said yesterday, answering ARA's question.

The recovery process reopens wounds at Barça

Raphinha returns after two months out. On September 25, he left the match against Oviedo with what appeared to be a minor hamstring injury. The problem persisted until the following month, when Raphinha was due to return for El Clásico at the Bernabéu on October 26. Four days before, he suffered a relapse of the injury that ruled him out of the match. It was a shock for Flick and the dressing room, as they had expected the Brazilian to be available. It was also a tough blow because this wasn't Raphinha's first relapse. As reported The AthleticThe Brazilian had already suffered a first relapse of the same injury two weeks earlier, during the international break in October.

The Brazilian had been given an excessive workload in training too early, in an attempt to force him for the Clásico. His injury worsened, and in a private meeting with some journalists, Flick admitted that they had pushed him too hard, acting as a buffer against a growing distrust in the dressing room towards Julio Tous, Barça's head of physical preparation, who this season was also in charge of leading the players' rehabilitation. Friction has arisen regarding the players' rehabilitation, but the strength training sessions led by Tous, which a year ago even caused some dizziness due to overexertion among the squad, have also lost intensity. Exercises with resistance bands and Swiss balls have become more prevalent in the weight training routines. as this newspaper explained.

All of this has led to a wave of injuries in the locker room, causing players like Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Balde, among others, to lose faith in Tous's team. "Mistakes have been made, we all make them, but I'm happy with our medical staff," Flick said yesterday. "I've had two relapses. Perhaps mistakes have been made, but I also take my share of the blame because I wanted to come back sooner," Raphinha concluded gracefully.