Barcelona star admits ‘without Xavi, I wouldn’t have worn this shirt’ | OneFootball

A member of the attacking ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona has this weekend moved to confirm his appreciation for former head coach Xavi Hernández.

The player in question? Raphinha.

Wide-man Raphinha, for his part, is of course in the midst of the finest season of his career to date.

Under the watch of new headmaster Hansi Flick, the Brazilian has been completely rejuvenated, on his way to a haul of 38 direct goal contributions in 34 appearances across all competitions.

Raphinha’s explosion comes after a summer which again saw the former Leeds United man heavily tipped for a Camp Nou departure.

Amid suggestions of frustration on the part of the winger regarding his role under the aforementioned Xavi, the 28-year-old was linked with a whole host of clubs across Europe and beyond.

If the latest comments on the part of the player himself are anything to go by, however, then he appears to remain very much grateful for his ex-boss.

Speaking to L’Équipe (as cited by Fabrizio Romano) ahead of Barcelona’s upcoming meeting with Sevilla, Raphinha confirmed:

“If Xavi had not been the coach of Barcelona, I wouldn’t have worn this shirt. He convinced me that I could become an important player.”

Conor Laird – GSFN