From the bench, now with out power, Raphinha was centered on by the cameras. He had been the protagonist of a basic that resulted in Hansi Flick’s first title at Barcelona, a trophy that got here like a pamper for a Barça squad that arrived in Arabia touched by the noise of the Olmo case. In actuality, he had been the star of the week. A typical tone for the Brazilian in the course of the season: chief on the sphere, creator of two of Barcelona’s 5 targets towards Madrid, but in addition within the locker room. Key piece together with Araujo to maintain the group collectively, public assist for Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor within the face of the absurdity of their registrations.
While Hansi Flick was coping with the press convention previous to the Spanish Super Cup ultimate with some discomfort, he obtained a message on his digital watch: “Mister, Raphinha and Araujo want to talk to you.” Television cameras captured the second, and social media shortly made it viral. “It was nothing strange, just an organizational issue,” they defined from the Barcelona delegation in Jeddah, making an attempt to drive away hypothesis. After the assembly between the 2 captains and the German coach, the Barça entity determined to reschedule their return journey to the Catalan capital. It occurred then that, as an alternative of coaching on Monday morning in Arabia after which taking the flight to Spain, the Barça expedition left Jeddah instantly after beating Madrid.
Although captain Ter Stegen, injured on account of a patellar tendon drawback, traveled to Saudi, the load of management of the squad falls on Raphinha and Araujo. The Brazilian has a pure ancestry: elected captain by his teammates simply three years after arriving on the membership, above the good determine of the locker room, Lewandowski. Araujo, captain since 2013, has, nevertheless, a extra self-imposed management, pushed by his need to change into a typical chief. charrúa and el Camp Nou.
“Dani and Pau were having a very bad time. It was a difficult situation for the group,” defined a supply near the Barcelona locker room. One of the Barça gamers added with concern: “If they do this to Dani, who arrived as the star signing of the summer, what could they do to the rest of us?” The unrest within the locker room was not silenced: neither Raphinha nor Ronald Araújo hesitated to boost their voices. “It is a situation of very bad taste for our colleagues,” the Uruguayan complained in Barbastro. In Arabia, it was Raphinha who spoke: “If I were in another club, maybe I would think about whether coming to Barça is the best.”
The Barça group thanked Raphinha and Araujo for his or her dedication. Above all, that of Raphinha, after Araujo, motivated by his agent, started to let himself be beloved by Juventus. “He doesn’t feel valued,” they are saying from these round him. “We have made him two renewal offers, for us he is an important player,” Barça responds, saying they don’t plan to let him go for lower than 70 million. It occurred, nevertheless, that when the rumor about his potential departure started to realize power within the workplaces, Araujo needed to take the sphere in Arabia. Recently recovered from his muscle damage, his dance accomplice was not the simplest to defend: an impressed Mbappé. He complied.
The tough half had already been performed by his good friend Raphinha. As robust in assault as in protection, a sacrifice that left him with out legs, changed by Ferran Torres within the 79th minute. No one stole the MVP of the sport from him, nor the love of the locker room.
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