Raphinha opens up on the feud with former Barcelona boss Xavi that left the forward wanting to move to Saudi Arabia because club legend 'didn't trust' him
Barcelona star Raphinha has hit out at former boss Xavi for not trusting him and said he even considered moving to Saudi Arabia last summer.
The Brazilian has enjoyed a remarkable campaign under Hansi Flick, scoring 31 goals and providing 25 assists in all competitions, and has been tipped for the Ballon d'Or.
The 28-year-old, who moved from Leeds United in July 2022, started just 17 league matches under Xavi last season.
He completed a full 90 minutes on just eight occasions during two seasons under the Barcelona legend.
And while he won La Liga in 2023, Raphinha admitted he considered moving because Xavi 'did not trust him'.
'I felt like the coach [Xavi] and his staff did not trust me,' Raphinha told Isabela Pagliari.
'When there was no other [player], I was there and I played 90 minutes. I gave everything I could give and had an impact on games, but when there was another [player] who could play in my place, they picked them without even thinking about it.
'Sometimes, I was doing everything for 60 minutes and they would take me off. There's a famous video in which I explode when I reach the bench and punch it.
'I think it was the game against Manchester United [in the Europa League in 2023]. I had done really well. I had scored and set up a goal. I think it was 2-2 and they took me off.
'I had just created a really good chance. I felt good and was playing well. And I was the first player taken off. I could not believe it.'
In his two seasons under Xavi, Raphinha made 87 appearances, although 27 were as a substitute, scoring 20 times.
Xavi, who spent 17 years as a player in Barcelona, has been on sabbatical since leaving the Catalan side last year.
'I tried to fix the situation,' Raphinha added. 'I had several conversations with [Xavi], but I saw that it was making no difference. He had his way of thinking.'
Raphinha clashed with Oscar Hernandez, Xavi's brother and assistant, last April after being replaced during a match against Valencia.
Xavi later told the Brazilian he would not play the next game as 'there are attitudes that can't be allowed'.
Raphinha previously revealed he considered leaving Barcelona after his first season.
He also said he spoke with Neymar about a move last summer but his wife persuaded him to stay in Spain.
Meanwhile, he piled praise on current boss Flick.
'He is someone who looks out for all the players, those that are playing and those that are not playing,' he said.
'I really noticed that when Vitor Roque left. I was really moved by how he dealt with that. He was more concerned than Vitor about what was happening. He went to speak with the club to find out all about the situation and he spoke with [Roque].'
Barcelona face Inter Milan on Tuesday evening as they look to reach the Champions League final and are still in contention for the treble.
The Catalans dramatically beat Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and sit at the top of the La Liga table, four points ahead of arch-rivals Madrid, with just four games remaining.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
West Indies beat Ireland to win T20 series
Third Twenty20 international, BreadyIreland 194-7 (20 overs): R Adair 48; Hosein 3-27, Holder 2-49West Indies 256-5 (20 overs): Lewis 91; Humphreys 2-16, R Adair 1-52West Indies win by 62 runsScorecard West Indies secured a 1-0 series win over Ireland after victory in the third and final T20 at first two games of the three-match series on Thursday and Saturday were abandoned without a ball being bowled due to heavy cleared on Sunday to allow the third game to go ahead, with Ireland winning the toss and opting to bowl Indies set a chase of 256, their second-highest T20 score, after some superb failed to get close to with Akeal Hosein claiming three-wickets as the visitors won by 62 Indies started well and registered 122 runs after 10.3 overs without Ireland taking a wicket, through the partnership of Evin Lewis and Shai McCarthy eventually got the breakthrough for the hosts by removing Shai Hope for more wickets in the 12th over followed as Rovman Powell (2) and Lewis (91) were both dismissed by Matthew Humphreys. Shimron Hetmyer (15) was then removed by Ben White whilst Jason Holder (18) was taken out by Mark Adair, but West Indies ended their innings on a strong 256-5 as Keacy Carty managed an unbeaten 49 from 22 got off to a bad batting start as they lost captain Paul Stirling in the second over after just 13 Adair and Harry Tector steadied the ship with a partnership of 101 in 58 balls, before the latter departed as the hosts lost a second player inside the first 10 and Lorcan Tucker were taken out by Hosein in the 11th over and the wickets continued to tumble which only hampered Ireland's hopes as George Dockrell, Tim Tector and Barry McCarthy were all gone by the 16th over. With the result beyond doubt by that stage, the hosts aimed to reduce the margin of defeat in the last four overs.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
John Textor provides another twist in Crystal Palace ownership saga
The Crystal Palace ownership saga has taken another twist with the club's largest shareholder, John Textor, listing his holding company Eagle Football for an initial public offering in the US. Textor's multi-club operation, which also owns majority shares in Lyon and Botafogo, has submitted a draft registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. An IPO is when a private company first sells shares to the public. Eagle documents seen by the Guardian show that the company has made a confidential S-1 filing, with institutional investors invited to buy shares in it. Neither the volume nor prices of the shares to be listed has been made public. Eagle has sustained heavy losses in recent years largely due to its big spending at Lyon, rather than Palace. Textor first announced plans for an Eagle IPO, which would be the first conducted by a multi-club football group, with a company valuation of $2bn (£1.47bn) last November, but the timing of the listing is curious given his involvement in sale talks at Palace, and the uncertainty over whether the club will be allowed to compete in the Europa League next season. Textor declined to comment or discuss his intentions. Lyon have also qualified for the competition and Uefa rules prevent clubs with the same owners both taking part. As previously revealed by the Guardian, Uefa has rejected an offer by Textor to put his 44.9% stake in Palace into a blind trust as he missed the 1 March deadline, and the American has since stepped up his efforts to sell. The Guardian reported on Thursday that the New York Jets owner, Woody Johnson, has offered £190m to buy Textor's shares in a move that would be welcomed by the club chairman, Steve Parish, although that price is believed to be considerably short of his valuation. A consortium including NBA star Jimmy Butler and investment company Sportsbank has also made an offer. Textor's preference would be to sell to fellow shareholders Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who each own 18% of the club, but despite months of negotiations they have been unable to agree on a price. Textor has spent around £180m on Palace since buying an initial 40% stake for £87m four years ago, with his investment crucial to the redevelopment of the club's training ground and funding numerous player purchases, and is reluctant to sell at a big loss. Palace have expressed confidence they will be cleared by Uefa to take part in the Europa League on the grounds that Textor does not have a 'decisive influence' at the club, and if they are thrown out are likely to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport. Uefa made renewed contact with Palace seeking clarification on elements of their submissions last week, which the club have interpreted as a positive sign. In a potentially worrying development for Palace, Drogheda United were expelled from the Conference League last week due to multi-club issues. The Irish Premier League club are owner by the American investors Trivela Group, whose Danish club Silkeborg have also qualified for the competition and been given primacy by Uefa as they finished higher in their domestic league. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Drogheda responded by saying they will take the matter to Cas, and the Palace case also appears destined to be decided by the court in Lausanne. To complicate matters further, Nottingham Forest would be promoted from the Conference League to the Europa League if Palace are banned by Uefa. Forest have written to Uefa outlining their position and they, in turn, could take the matter to Cas if Palace are allowed to stay in the Europa League.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Alexander Zverev delivers X-rated on-court message to Taylor Fritz - after clashing with rival's influencer girlfriend at Wimbledon
Alexander Zverev delivered a light-hearted, X-rated jibe at rival Taylor Fritz after their clash on Sunday afternoon. The German suffered his fifth consecutive defeat against American star Fritz, who clinched the Stuttgart Open title after a 6-3, 7-6 win. Evidently, Zverev's poor record against his rival was playing on his mind as he delivered a post-match speech, where he jokingly took aim at Fritz. Speaking on court, Zverev said: 'Taylor, I'm f***ing tired of you. I don't wanna see you again over the next 2 to 3 years. 'Please stay away from me. Don't come to Germany anymore'. While Fritz and Zverev have clashed on the court numerous times over the years, the same can also be said for the German star and his rival's girlfriend, Morgan Riddle. It was after the five-set thriller at Wimbledon last year that Zverev expressed displeasure over the noise coming from Fritz's box, where his girlfriend Morgan Riddle was seated. Adding to the intrigue was a curious social media post from Riddle that many saw as a reference to 2020 domestic abuse claims against Zverev - which he denied. A social media influencer who has 17.2million likes on TikTok, Riddle has since deleted an Instagram video that included the caption: 'when your man wins 4 the girls.' She had posted a picture of the court to her story and wrote, 'cheer loud ladies.' That post was also taken down. After that match, Fritz sat down for an interview with The Tennis Channel and shed light on the feud - following a discussion with Zverev on court. He explained: 'I think he was a little upset about my team members cheering for me when he was injured but he said: "It's nothing to do with you. You're all good..." Whatever, it's all good.' Zverev said afterwards that he was upset with some people in Fritz's box who 'may not be from the tennis world.' 'His team is extremely respectful. I think his coach, his physio, also his second coach, they're extremely respectful,' Zverev said. 'I think there's some other people that maybe are in the box that are not maybe from the tennis world, that are not maybe from particularly watching every single match. They were a bit over the top.' Zverev agreed to pay around $240,000, last year, in a June settlement with his accuser, the mother of his child, but was not convicted of any crime and maintains his innocence. The ATP investigated the claims (via an outside firm) for 15 months but ultimately did not discipline Zverev on the basis of insufficient evidence. Following his settlement in June, Zverev said 'I told you so from the start, I told everybody. I'm happy that it's over. Yeah, nothing else more to say.' Meanwhile, after Fritz knocked Zverev out in New York with a four-set victory to reach the US Open semifinals last year, Riddle took to social media to celebrate the victory. She shared a video from Arthur Ashe taking in the full surroundings and, alongside three nail polish emojis, wrote: 'Semi finalsssss'.
