Raphinha made a little-noticed dig at former coach Xavi Hernandez over his playing time last season.
The Brazil international is having a superb start to his third season in Catalonia, with Hansi Flick having reached a new level in his game.
Six goals in La Liga have already equaled his tally from last season, with seven goals scored at Barcelona underlining his rise.
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Flick gave the 27-year-old more responsibility, including the captaincy on occasion, and his response kept him in the team.
Raphinha started just 17 league games last season, with 11 appearances as a substitute, and he indicated he felt Xavi lacked confidence in him for 90 minutes.
“It's not a criticism of Xavi. But with him, I knew I was going to be substituted in the 60th minute. I tried to do everything in those 60 minutes, but nothing worked,” according to one interview with El Pais.
“And other times, when things were going well, I was still taken out of the game.”
Raphinha will look to continue his good form as Barcelona return to action with a home league derby against Espanyol tomorrow, hoping to increase their six-point title lead.
