Flick is 'wet' on whether Raphinha has merits to win the Golden Ball this season

Hansi Flick took advantage of his appearance at the press conference prior to the match between FC Barcelona and SL Benfica, corresponding to the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, to talk about several of his players. He surprised, or maybe not so much, with his statements about one in particular: Raphinha.

The 60-year-old German coach 'surrendered' to the talent of the left-winger native of Porto Alegre, who is having his best season as a player for FC Barcelona and, overall, in his professional career. The '11' has positioned himself as one of the top candidates for the Ballon d'Or 2025, according to Hansi Flick: "Of course, if he performs well this season, he could have chances. He always helps us a lot, especially if you see the goals he has scored, it shows the hunger he has. You see it, it's good to see how focused he is. I am happy with his level," he emphasized.

Raphinha has more than enough arguments to compete for the Ballon d'Or 2025

These words are backed by the performance of Raphinha, who has accumulated 25 goals and 18 assists in 40 matches, contributing on a total of 43 occasions to the 125 goals scored by FC Barcelona so far this season (34.4%). Since the arrival of Hansi Flick, the 'Seleção' international has become a stellar player, confident in himself and extremely versatile, excelling not only in scoring goals but also in assisting, building up play, and the defensive aspect.

With these numbers in mind, it would not be surprising to see Raphinha enter the conversation as a clear candidate for the Ballon d'Or, directly competing with 'superstars' like Mohamed Salah. However, everything will depend on how the season ends, given that these awards also consider collective achievements and fair play. In this sense, the former Leeds United player is well positioned, as Barça continues to compete in all competitions, leading LaLiga EA Sports, in the 'semis' of the Copa del Rey, and with one foot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Hansi Flick also spoke about Robert Lewandowski

During the press conference, Hansi Flick also mentioned Robert Lewandowski, the striker who will soon renew his contract with FC Barcelona. 'Lewy' was not called up for the match against CA Osasuna due to discomfort detected in the training prior to the match. The German explained: "He is in top form, on Saturday we decided he should rest. In the training before the match, he felt some discomfort due to tiredness, so we decided he should rest."

And about Szczęsny

Finally, the German coach praised once again one of his favorite players Wojciech Szczęsny, highlighting his maturity and experience in goalkeeping. Flick commented: "Szczęsny is a mature and experienced goalkeeper. His personality helps us a lot, he is doing a great job."