Raphinha continues to be one of Barcelona’s most influential players on the pitch and one of the squad’s most vocal leaders. He says his presence makes teammates play with more clarity and intensity, underlining how much the side benefits from having him in attack.
The Brazilian missed the team’s clash with Albacete due to a minor issue and is reported to be unavailable for the upcoming match against Mallorca as well, though he stressed the setback is small and he expects to return to action soon.
In a recent conversation with SofaScore he dismissed claims that the teenager Lamine (Lamine Yamal) is regularly out partying and instead painted a more mundane picture of his routine. According to Raphinha, Lamine is constantly on his phone — scrolling social media, listening to music with headphones — which leads to him staying up late and appearing sleepy in the mornings, rather than a lifestyle of frequent late‑night events.
Raphinha also described Gavi as notably forgetful, often leaving behind items like his passport, headphones or bag. He said the equipment staff often have to search the locker room for Gavi’s things, and that he himself usually sits at the back of the team bus and checks seats when players disembark to make sure nothing is left behind.
He reserved praise for Robert Lewandowski, highlighting the striker’s competitive hunger and achievements despite his age, and noting Lewandowski’s hard work to stay at his best.
When asked about the toughest opponents he faces in training, Raphinha pointed to one from his national team and one from Barcelona: Casemiro and Ronald Araujo respectively, citing them as especially difficult to deal with in drills.
On his relationship with former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, Raphinha made clear it was strictly professional — he treated Xavi as his manager rather than a friend, describing a standard player‑coach dynamic.
Regarding the Clásico in the Spanish Super Cup, Raphinha acknowledged that he missed a chance that could have given him a hat‑trick in that match and promised to come back stronger and aim to rectify that miss in the future.
The interview was published on 06/02/2026 by Adi hya Eshwarla and appeared roughly three hours ago.
