Brazil boss Dorival backs Barcelona star’s Ballon d’Or case | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior, head coach of the Brazilian national team, has revealed his take that Raphinha should be in the conversation to win the next Ballon d’Or.

Wide-man Raphinha, for his part, is of course in the midst of nothing short of a spectacular campaign to date.

Looking like a player reborn under the watch of Hansi Flick, the former Leeds United standout has time and time again proven himself decisive, amid Barcelona’s hunt for a historic treble.

All told, across 40 appearances in all competitions, Raphinha has racked up 43 direct goal contributions.

Such stellar exploits have seen the name of the 28-year-old widely pushed by the Blaugrana faithful as a leading contender for the next Ballon d’Or.

And as alluded to above, on Thursday, this push has been backed by Raphinha’s manager at international level.

Speaking after unveiling his latest squad of players, Brazil headmaster Dorival had the following to say when drawn on his star winger’s ‘Golden Ball’ claim:

“Raphinha is a candidate for the Ballon d’Or.”

Conor Laird – GSFN