Barcelona winger shares special bond with Flick, promises him that team will improve – report | OneFootball

The visuals of Hansi Flick looking dejected after Barcelona’s win over Deportivo Alaves shook many across the world, for it made many see the human side of the pressure on managers at the club.

For the coach to react the way he did after winning a game that took his team top of the table, needless to say, spoke volumes about the amount of pressure on him to deliver without any compromise.

What also struck fans, concurrently, was the strong bond that Raphinha shared with Flick, for he personally reassured him and consoled the German manager at that difficult moment.

A well-known relationship

As relayed by ESPN in a recent report, the Raphinha moment with Flick is not as much of a surprise as it is being made to be, for the close bond between the duo has been known for a long time now.

The manager and Brazilian winger share a special relationship. Raphinha sees Flick to be the manager who helped him hit the peak of his career and become one of the best players on the planet – a level that he never thought he could reach on the field.

The Brazilian has gone on record about how it was Flick who convinced him to stay in 2024, when he was considering his future at Barcelona.

Flick, meanwhile, deeply values Raphinha for the leader that he is and for pushing the team on the field endlessly – something critical in his system.

The bond between the duo is very deep, and Raphinha has promised Flick that the team will reach the level that the manager demands from them. 

In Barcelona’s recent game against Alaves, Barcelona’s performance took a sharp dip after the Brazilian’s substitution. Needless to say, that indicates that the team operates on a different gear when he is on the field to lead them.

As one of the leaders of the press, off the ball work and counter-attack, Raphinha will hope to lead the team out of the situation they are in and bring back the version from last season that has been sorely missed so far.