Raphinha hails Hansi Flick for saving Barcelona career as Brazil forward stars in Spanish Supercopa final win over Real Madrid - 'I had one foot out'

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Raphinha said he had "one foot out" of Barcelona before Hansi Flick was appointed as head coach and turned his spell at the club around. The Brazil international, speaking after playing a leading role in Barcelona's successful Spanish Supercopa defence with a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the final, said Flick "gave me what I needed" following his tough first season at the club under Xavi.

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Raphinha hailed head coach Hansi Flick for saving his Barcelona career after playing a pivotal role in his side’s successful Spanish Supercopa defence.

Former Leeds United forward Raphinha netted a decisive double in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in Jeddah, having already contributed two goals and an assist in the 5-0 demolition of Athletic Club in the semi-final.

It continued his hot streak of form since returning from injury in November, with eight goals in his last seven appearances.

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Raphinha, who struggled in his first season at Camp Nou under Xavi, said he was on the brink of exiting the club before Flick was appointed and turned his Barcelona career around.

"[Flick] was the person that changed everything for me here," Raphinha said. "I had one foot out of the club when he was appointed. The importance of him speaking with me, telling me I would be important... that's what you need, someone who values your work.

"He gave me what I needed in that moment, which allowed me to focus on working hard and giving my best for the team."

'He changed everything for me' - Raphinha credits Flick after Supercopa win

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Last year - Flick’s first in the Barcelona dugout - yielded the best return of Raphinha’s career, as he recorded 34 goals and 26 assists in 57 appearances as he finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or rankings.

And the German coach lauded Raphinha’s mentality, explaining how he positively influences the team aside from his goal contributions.

"His mentality is unbelievable," Flick said. "He has a dynamic, which affects the whole team. You can see he missed the first chance he had in the game, but for the second one, he was there, he shoots the first goal and gives the team more confidence.

"This is what he brings. Rapha on the pitch is a lot of intensity, and we need this."

The Supercopa was Barcelona’s fourth trophy since the appointment of Flick in the summer of 2024, with the Catalan club taking each of the last four Spanish major trophies on offer, including the La Liga title last season.

It was also Barca’s third consecutive victory against Clasico rivals Real Madrid in a final - stretching back to last season’s Copa del Rey and Supercopa triumphs.

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Raphinha reiterated the club’s desire for major silverware, as the Liga leaders look to add the UEFA Champions League to their list of honours for the first time since 2014/15.

"When you wear this shirt, the main objective is always to win trophies. We're doing well. We have a lot of young players who have that winning mentality, which is good for the club. We want to fight and win trophies," Raphinha said.

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"We can improve on last year. The team has matured. We can continue [to build on] what we did last season. It depends more on us than others. We have to stay focused. We know what we want."

Barcelona return to Spain to face La Liga 2 leaders Racing Santander in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday, before looking to further their four-point lead at the summit in the league against Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Alonso: Real must 'move on as soon as possible'

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso urged his side to "move on" from Sunday’s defeat "as soon as possible" after missing the opportunity to win his first piece of silverware as manager of the club.

"It's the least important of the competitions we play," Alonso said. "We have to look forward, try to get players back [from injury], get our morale back and keep going."

The Supercopa final reverse snapped a five-match winning streak for Madrid, which had alleviated some pressure on Alonso’s position following a run of two wins in eight matches spanning November and December.

Kylian Mbappe, who has been central to Alonso’s success this season with 29 goals in all competitions, came on as a 76th-minute substitute on Sunday - having travelled to Saudi Arabia after recovering from a left knee sprain.

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Alonso, though, said he was not fit enough to play a bigger part in the final.

"Kylian wasn't fit to start the game," Alonso said. "It was best to use him to make an impact, and that's what we decided... The injuries are hurting us. They're preventing us from finding stability."

Alonso, meanwhile, praised the performance of Vinicius Junior, who ended his 16-match run without a goal by netting an excellent solo effort to initially level the game in a frantic exchange of goals at the end of the first half.

"Vini had a great game," Alonso said. "He was dangerous, and the goal was extraordinary."

Real face second-tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

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