Under Hansi Flick, Raphinha has transformed into one of Barcelona's best players. He's been indispensable this season, culminating in a hat-trick performance against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
However, things could have turned out very different for both Raphinha and Barcelona as the Brazilian star admitted he thought about leaving the club. in an interview with ESPN.
"Man, there were several moments, not just one," he said. "My first six months here, the period from the summer transfer window until the World Cup, was a season in which I didn't have the best of starts, so it crossed my mind to leave the club.
"There was a lot of self doubt. I have a nasty habit of criticizing myself heavily, so to speak, so that pressure made me thing about leaving."
Indeed it was a difficult start for Raphinha at Barcelona. Coming over in a big money more from Leeds United, a lot was expected of him and perhaps, the expectations weren't aligned to the type of player he is.
Some believed he would be similar to Ousmane Dembele, a speedy winger who could take on defenders. Raphinha isn't exactly. While he does have pace, we've seen this season he does his best work as drifting inside from the left and behind Robert Lewandowski. He's not a traditional winger in that sense.
In his first season under Xavi, he also wasn't a starter. Xavi had an immense amount of faith in Dembele and there were whispers that if it came down to only keeping one of them, the Frenchman was preferred by the manager. On a number of occasions, Raphinha visibly showed his frustration when he was subbed out.
"Last season, after the injuries I had, the sending off, and also at the end of the season, seeing a lot of things that the club wanted to sell me, that the fans wanted me to leave, it also ends up crossing your mind to leave, to go somewhere where there's no pressure."
One of the reasons some wanted Raphinha to leave was he was one of the few players who could command a sizeable transfer fee. For a club with the financial struggels of a Barcelona, that transfer fee would have gone a long way.
The most apparent reason was Barcelona's interest in Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams. The Catalan side were heavily linked to Williams and those rumors only intensified following EURO 2024. All signs pointed to the winger joining the club but he ultimately decided to stay at Athletic Bilbao.
The belief among some Barcelona supporters was so high, one particular fan had a Barcelona Nico Williams jersey with Raphinha's number. It was something Raphinha saw and recently called "disrespectful."
Hansi Flick has managed to get the best out of Raphinha so far this season. Alongside Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, they've been one of the best attacking trios in Europe. For Barcelona, Raphinha's resurgence has been beneficial to Yamal as opponents cannot focus solely on defending the 17-year-old. Add to that the fact Raphinha is now finishing his chances, an argument can be made he's the best Brazilian player at the moment.
Raphinha has been able to consolidate himself as an undisputed starter under Flick. But his influence goes beyond the pitch. With the injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Raphinha has served as the team's captain and has taken that responsibility to heart. He's seen as a mentor now inside that dressing room by the younger players. With Raphinha, it seems the more responsibility, the better he performs. It's something Barcelona continues not only against Real Madrid, but for the rest of the season.