Raphinha talks Flick, Inigo, Lamine, Szczesny, Pedri – ‘The heart of the team’ | OneFootball

FC Barcelona has released the second episode of ‘Inside Barça’ on its platform Barça One, offering an exclusive look at the team’s locker room dynamics.

Titled ‘Este equipo nunca se rinde’ (This Team Never Gives Up), the episode provides insights into the squad’s camaraderie and key moments from the season so far.

Raphinha reflects on Barcelona journey

One of the main features in the episode was Barcelona winger Raphinha, who shared his thoughts about what it meant to play for Barça and his own brilliant form this season.

“For me, wearing this jersey was always a dream. I’m where I want to be. Match days are tough because you don’t get much sleep, but every other day is amazing. The energy at training is always positive,” he said.

On his performances, Raphinha added: “I’m in the best moment of my career. It’s not just about stats; the team is incredible, and we’re still competing in every tournament. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood.”

Raphinha also opened up about his doubts last summer and how Hansi Flick changed his mindset, saying:

“Flick and I have a close relationship. When I was on vacation with my family, I didn’t know what would happen – whether the club would sell me or if the coach wanted me. We didn’t know each other.

“But in pre-season, he told me I would be important and help the team a lot. That changed my perspective.”

Praise for Pedri, Lamine, and Inigo

Raphinha praised Pedri. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

Raphinha then went on to heap praise on Barcelona midfielder Pedri, calling him the heart of the team and one of the best in the world.

“Pedri doesn’t have many assists, he doesn’t have many goals, but for me, he’s the most important player on our team. I think every ball goes and should go through him. When he’s not on the pitch, something is missing; he’s the heart of the team,” he said.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, I can tell you that with all the confidence I can muster,” Raphinha further added.

“The shame is that in football, people focus more on the numbers than on the game and the importance of the players.”

Raphinha also spoke highly of in-form youngster Lamine Yamal, stating: “Playing with Lamine is absolutely crazy. Lamine’s quality is unquestionable. What he does on the pitch makes it look like he’s been playing professional football for 10 years.”

Regarding Inigo Martinez, the Brazilian stated that the veteran defender was a captain without the armband, saying:

“Inigo is not officially one of the team’s captains, but in my opinion, inside the dressing room, he is one of us, I mean one of the captains… He is a real leader.”

On Wojciech Szczesny’s sensational performance in the UCL game against Benfica, Raphinha remarked:

“We knew Tek’s potential and had complete confidence in him. He’s already proven that. We all trust him, and we were able to count on him in this match. In the end, if he hadn’t been there, we might not have achieved the result we did.”

Raphinha also outlined his happiness with this Barcelona team and their objective for the season, saying:

“I’m very happy with the team. We’re a team that learns something new every day, and in my opinion, we’re learning faster than expected. We have this in mind: we want to reach another final to fight for another trophy.”