Barca vs Atletico: Hansi Flick and Raphinha's energy

Special relationship

The image of Raphinha comforting Hansi Flick as the coach expressed his sadness on the coaching bench after the unconvincing win over Alaves last weekend has spread strongly on social media.

There is a deep and mutual gratitude between the two. Under the German strategist, Raphinha reached the highest level of his career.

Raphinha Barca Alaves.jpg — Raphinha returns and shines. Photo: MD

Flick found in him a dedicated and trustworthy partner, more valuable than Lamine Yamal or any other star in the Barcelona squad.

“We will be better,” Raphinha told Hansi Flick. In a press conference, the former Bayern Munich coach said the Brazilian’s return was the best thing.

The Brazilian player is the one who understands and executes the suffocating pressing style best – which has brought great success to the Catalan team in Hansi Flick's first season in charge.

Because of that, he is expected to be decisive in the confrontation with Atletico, in the early match of round 19 of La Liga (3am on December 3).

Returning to the pitch after recovering from injury, Raphinha demonstrated two qualities that Flick highly values.

Part of it is the sometimes chaotic improvisation to disrupt the opposition's defensive structure; part of it is the ability to 'threaten' the opposition when they have the ball to regain possession as quickly as possible.

Raphinha Energy

Raphinha suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh on September 25, in the match against Oviedo. Initially, the expected time of rest was about 3 weeks, but he relapsed several times.

Barca's medical department has been criticised for its ability to assess recovery and treat players. However, Raphinha admits that his problem comes from his own impatience to return early.

The complicated treatment process forced Raphinha to miss 6 La Liga matches, including the heavy 1-4 loss to Sevilla, or the 1-2 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico at Bernabeu.

During the time the former Leeds United striker was recovering from injury, Flick said no less than twice that he “missed Rafa and hoped he would return soon” .

Raphinha's return and participation in the first two goals in the win over Alaves is a hopeful signal for Flick, in an effort to restore the collective spirit of last season.

Raphinha Pedri Barca Alaves.jpg — Raphinha is very important to Barca. Photo: MD

Recently, Raphinha admitted that sometimes he is "too aggressive" in reminding his teammates about pressing.

“There are times when my teammates will think I talk too much, bother them, demand too much from them. But that's how I am: I demand from people who I know can do much better,” he said after the win over Alaves.

Last season, from preparing to leave Barca, Raphinha was convinced by Flick to stay and exploded with impressive numbers.

During the early stages of the 2025/26 season, Raphinha participated in 8 matches, started 6 matches, scored 3 goals, assisted 3 times and had 15 shots on target.

More difficult to measure is the amount of physical activity and relentless running he puts in, which gives Flick's style of football the necessary balance.

Invisibly, Raphinha has the potential to revive the spirit of commitment in a group that is always at risk of complacency and ego conflicts, something Flick has publicly warned against.

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