Ex-Sporting star feels robbed, says he deserved the Ballon d'Or | OneFootball

Raphinha, current Barcelona forward, spoke about the recent Ballon d'Or voting list, where he unexpectedly finished in fifth place, the impact of Carlo Ancelotti as head coach of the Brazilian national team, and the decisive influence of Hansi Flick during the best season of his career.

"I was upset. I expected to be at least among the top three. If I had to choose, I would put myself in first place. An individual award can't be based on just one competition. For the titles I won, the numbers I put up, and everything I delivered on the pitch, I truly believe I deserved to win," he began, in an interview with 'Sofascore'.

Next, the former Sporting winger – who has two new players on UEFA's exclusive list – highlighted the importance of Carlo Ancelotti as Brazil's coach: "He really surprised me. The way he works, the way he stays close to the players… that makes a huge difference. With his arrival to the national team, we reconnected. You feel that the coach trusts you, and that changes everything."

In conclusion, Raphinha also emphasized the decisive role of Barcelona's current coach: "Flick was the one who gave me the best season of my life. He gave me confidence when I think no one else did — not even myself. He believed in me at a time when I needed it most."

This season, wearing the blaugrana shirt, Raphinha – valued at 80 million euros – played 21 matches: 13 in La Liga, five in the Champions League, two in the Super Cup, and one in the Copa del Rey. In the 1,363 minutes he was on the pitch, the left-footer scored 13 goals and provided five assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.