Author of a breathtaking season under the colors of FC Barcelona (31 goals and 25 assists in all competitions), Raphinha is a candidate more than ever asserted in the Ballon d’Or. He would even be the immense favorite if Barça were to lift the Champions League on May 31 in Munich. Before that, the Culé club will have to win tomorrow evening (9 p.m.) in Giuseppe Meazza in the semi-final return against Inter Milan after an exceptional first leg (3-3).
A trip to Italy which promises to be delicate and a private country for the old Rennais. Of Italian origin thanks to his father, he could very well have worn the colors of the Squadra Azzurra. In an interview with Isabela Pagliari, he revealed that he was even very close to accepting the offer of Italy, and therefore to win the Euro in 2021.
Raphinha was close to playing Euro 2020 with Italy!
“At that time, the Italian national team called me. Jorginho called me all the time. The Italian staff had an incredible project for me, something that really appealed to me“He said before revealing the reasons for this failure:”Basically, I still had a little hope of being able to wear the Brazil jersey. Fortunately, my Italian passport did not arrive in time! I had to play Euro 2020, it was practically done “He said.
As a reminder, the 28 -year -old striker knew his first selection with Brazil in October 2021 against Venezuela, in a matching match for the 2022 world Cup qualifiers. With the Seleção, the native of Porto Alegre has 33 selections for 11 goals scored. Now manager of the five -time world champion selection, he will be one of the team’s spearheads at the next World Cup.
If it is true that he could have won a major trophy, in this case, the Barcelona star obviously does not regret his choice, proud to be able to wear the Auriverde jersey, which so many football legends have worn such as Ronaldinho, idol of Raphinha. In 2026, he tried to win his first title in the selection.
To summarize
Raphinha, the star of FC Barcelona, made a surprising revelation concerning his career, saying that he could have won a major trophy. However, this was not achieved due to a specific reason that he shared, thus marking an important confession.