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Barcelona will face their most difficult test of the season so far when they take on Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
Coming into the game on the back of a thumping win over Sevilla in La Liga this past weekend, the Blaugrana will be eager to get going against a team who have had the upper hand in head-to-head contests in recent years.
But, Barça, under Hansi Flick, seem like a different beast and go into the game with a great chance of securing a victory over Vincent Kompany’s side.
Ahead of the game, Raphinha, one of the manager’s most trusted players in the squad, appeared for the pre-match press conference and spoke about a variety of topics.
Kicking things off, the Brazilian reflected on the fact that tomorrow’s game will be his 100th as a Barcelona player, and said:
“It will be a pretty special game. We’re working quite hard, I’ll celebrate after the game, hopefully with a win. The three points are the most important thing for us.”
Raphinha has transformed into one of the most important players for Barcelona this season and put down this turnaround to both mental and tactical aspects.
“I can say it’s a mental and tactical change. The importance of the coach and my teammates is very important to me. They try to help me. I’m always willing to learn a bit more from everyone.
“I started the season with a different mentality, I knew I had to adapt to other positions to stand out in this club.”
Talking about the constant rumours about his future as well as the fact that Nico Williams was being talked about his replacement and that the Spaniard would take his shirt number, Raphinha remarked:
“I even commented on it on Instagram. It was a bad joke, in my opinion. People have to respect the players who are at the club, we give the best. In the end to see a picture like this, it doesn’t taste very good. It was a bit disrespectful of my work.
“People do what they want. The shirts are there and they put the names they want. There was no special reason for me to start the season the way I did.”
Reaffirming his commitment towards the Blaugrana, he added: “I wanted to do my best for the club with the years of contract that I have. I started knowing that I had to adapt to play. If I worked at 100 per cent before, today I work at 200 per cent.”
Raphinha is a well-respected player in the dressing room and has been named one of the four club captains at Barcelona this season. On what it means to him, the Brazilian said:
“It’s a huge pride to be able to wear the armband. I think being a captain is not just about wearing the armband. You have to be a captain in the dressing room and help the team in everything, both veterans and youngsters.
“You have to see if people are good or bad and if they need something. I tend to help everyone where I can. I’m always available to help.
“I’m very excited and happy to be one of the captains. There are a lot of players who have made history and worn this armband and it’s an honour.”
On whether this week is extremely crucial for Barcelona, considering that they play both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, he replied:
“We have to be better than ourselves every day. This makes us better. It’s an important, special week. I think players who want to play for clubs like Barça have to be prepared for these challenges.
“These are the best games to play in. We are working very hard, we are ready. After that, the next game, we will think about it on Thursday.”
Leading by example. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)On whether Barcelona will be gunning for revenge against Bayern Munich, he said: “I don’t see it as revenge. What happened, happened. It’s a pity what happened in the last games vs Bayern, but we are focused on this game. We are preparing for the three points.”
Talking about how he deals with criticism, Raphinha said: “We players are in the crosshairs of the critics. We have to know how to deal with this. At the moment I’m in, I’m also being criticised and it’s normal. We have to be prepared, cover our ears and keep working.”
On him being compared to the other iconic Brazilian players who appeared for Barcelona in the past, Raphinha remarked:
“I don’t like to compare myself with other players. Everyone has made their own history, I’m looking for mine. Neymar has helped me a lot in my career. I watched his games at Barça. Only with hard work can I get close to making history at the club.”
There was also immense praise for teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the Barcelona fourth captain said:
“We can learn a lot of things from him. He’s been through quite a lot in football, not only in the first team, but also in the youth system. We all learn from each other.”
Raphinha also spoke very highly of Barcelona midfield gem Gavi, who made his return to action after 11 months out injured, saying:
“He’s an incredible person. He’s quite affectionate, even if he doesn’t look it. We get on really well with everyone. Seeing everything that’s happened since his injury, it’s quite exciting to see him playing again, in our stadium on top of that.
“People were quite excited and happy. We were worried because we know how Gavi does in matches.”
On being asked about how Barcelona play under Flick, with greater intensity and high pressing, compared to Xavi’s era, Raphinha said:
“I don’t like to make comparisons with what is happening now and what happened. Flick likes to take away as many balls as possible up top. For forwards, the closer to goal, the better.
“It’s more comfortable to be pressing high and stealing high. He’s always looking to press high and stay on the ball for as long as possible.”
If the elimination at the hands of PSG last season will serve as motivation for the team in the UCL this term, he said:
“I came away from that game quite sad because I saw that we were close to being able to reach the final, but what happened, happened. It was a pity. Now we have a new season and a new Champions League.
“We have to approach this objective as a group. We have to win as many titles as possible. We will do our best, that’s life. In football, only one comes out on top.”
Discussing the return of Dani Olmo and the other injured players, he said: “The more players available, the better. Dani is a player of the highest quality and he helps us a lot. He has shown that in the games he has played.
“Now we have Gavi, Frenkie and Dani back. We hope they will all be available. It will be a problem for the coach, but much better for us.”
Source: AS
