""The offer we had from Saudi Arabia really tempted me," "It would have solved not just my personal life, but also the lives of my parents, my son... a lot of people. "Obviously, we thought about leaving [Barcelona]. I thought it might be time to leave, but then we talked to [Flick], first on the phone and then at the beginning of the preseason, and he managed to convince me to stay. I'm glad he did.""
""It's impossible to name them all. Suddenly, I wasn't doing what they thought I should be doing, what they thought I had to do. But I always had a clear conscience about what I was able to deliver. I was extremely dedicated. Maybe they wanted 30 goals per season, which isn't really my style. I'm not a striker, I'm a player who helps a lot with commitment, with a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, that's Raphinha.""
Raphinha considered a 2024 move to Saudi Arabia that would have provided life-changing finances for his family. Hansi Flick contacted him by phone and persuaded him to remain at Barcelona ahead of preseason. The winger felt unwanted at times and reacted to Barcelona's interest in Nico Williams, but maintained strong commitment and a clear conscience about his contributions. In 2024-25 across Europe's top five leagues, Raphinha registered 56 goal involvements, second only to Mohamed Salah. In the Champions League campaign he recorded 20 direct goal contributions (12 goals, 8 assists).
Read at Soccer News
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