Raphinha 'surrenders' to the talent of Pedri González: "He is the most important player on our team"

The name of Raphinha has become one of the most talked about recently in the orbit of FC Barcelona. The most obvious reason is the spectacular season he is having as a culé in 2024-25, accumulating 27 goals and 20 assists in 42 matches. However, beyond his performance, the name of the native of Porto Alegre has been resonating strongly due to uncertainty about his physical condition ahead of the upcoming matches for the Barcelona team.

It is worth noting that the forward has been a substitute in the last two matches of the FC Barcelona. The first was against CA Osasuna (3-0), a match for which he had evident reasons not to be present, as, after the FIFA date in March, the timing did not allow him to return with enough margin to rest and arrive in full condition.

However, his absence against Girona (4-1) did surprise, and it was later revealed that it was due to a physical setback. Although it is said that it should not significantly affect his availability for the return match in the 'semis' of the Copa del Rey against Atlético de Madrid, the next challenge for the culé team (9:30 PM - Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium), there is still some uncertainty regarding this.

Now, Raphinha is back in the spotlight for another reason, related to statements made in episode two of 'Inside Barça', the club's new program broadcast on its streaming platform Barça One. In this space, the '11' discussed various topics and made statements that did not go unnoticed.

Raphinha praises Pedri González highly

Among other things, Raphinha showered praise on one of the great stars of FC Barcelona, the 'brain' of the midfield, Pedri González, whom he praised, highlighting his importance within the azulgrana sports project. "Pedri does not provide many assists or score many goals, but for me, he is the most important player on our team... I believe Pedri is the heart of the team," admitted 'Rapha'.

"Pedri does not provide many assists or score many goals, but for me, he is the most important player on our team"

Furthermore, Raphinha emphasized that, although statistics may not fully reflect Pedri's impact, his contribution to the team goes beyond the numbers. "It is unfortunate that football has become more dependent on numbers than necessary, ignoring the essence of the game and the importance of players on the field... Pedri is one of the best players in the world," stated the former Leeds player.

"Pedri is one of the best players in the world"

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'Rapha' also spoke about Lamine Yamal, Iñigo Martínez, and Szczęsny

In another vein, but also talking about the players of FC Barcelona, Raphinha took a moment to dedicate heartfelt words to Lamine Yamal. "Playing with Lamine is crazy. Lamine's quality is indisputable. What he does on the field gives the impression that he has been playing professional football for 10 years," pointed out the forward.

"Playing with Lamine is crazy. Lamine's quality is indisputable"

Continuing with the praise, 'Rapha' referred to Iñigo Martínez. Beyond highlighting his excellent sporting level as one of the defensive pillars of the Barcelona team, he emphasized his leadership within the locker room. "Iñigo is not officially one of the team captains, but in my opinion, within the locker room, he is one of us, that is, one of the captains... He is a true leader," noted the '11'.

Finally, among other topics discussed, Raphinha recalled Wojciech Szczęsny's performance against SL Benfica in the Champions League and how he was key for FC Barcelona to stay alive in the Champions League. "What about Szczęsny's performance against Benfica? We knew about Tek's potential and we had full confidence in him. He has already proven it. We all trust him and we were able to count on him in this match. In the end, if he hadn't been there, maybe we wouldn't have achieved the result we got," he concluded.