Watching the match at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Lisiane Belloli witnessed a painful moment in the career of her eldest son, Raphinha. During the first half of the game between the Brazilian team and Haiti, the Barcelona striker had to leave the field due to a thigh injury.
With a mother’s intuition, Lisiane noticed something unusual when Raphinha, number 11, did not celebrate Brazil’s second goal with her teammates. The concern intensified minutes later, when the player requested a substitution, and was then replaced by Rayan.
“From what I know of my son, he would have continued on the field even though he was bleeding. However, due to a history of leg problems, I believe he chose to leave to prevent the situation from worsening”, explained the mother. She added that the athlete usually fights until the end, but this time he acted intelligently by imposing a limit, aiming for continuity with the team and avoiding a more serious absence in the future.
In addition to the anguish of watching their son be replaced due to a physical issue, Lisiane and Raphinha’s relatives felt deeply upset by the insults uttered in the stands, which they considered unacceptable.
“We were quite upset, we heard absurd things around us. We were a family in a space designed for that”, he reported. She mentioned that half of the group that accompanied them decided to leave shortly after the player left, and her daughter-in-law also left the stadium because of the unpleasant situation.
Although part of the delegation left the place, Lisiane, her husband, Raphinha’s father and other friends remained, with the expectation of being able to talk to the player after the final whistle, which, unfortunately, did not materialize.
However, when she thought that the disturbances would be restricted to incidents at the stadium and that she could dedicate herself entirely to supporting her son’s recovery, Lisiane was surprised by the emergence of a new public controversy.
Former player Vampeta, 2002 World Cup champion and current commentator, publicly declared that the striker would be facing financial and family difficulties in the middle of the world competition. Raphinha’s mother expressed her surprise at such statements and lamented the impact that comments of this type could have on the atmosphere of the Brazilian team.
“Certain comments leave me perplexed. We are doing very well, thank you”, she said. She stated that she did not know the exact content of the statements, as the family is united and did not identify the serious financial or family problems that would have been mentioned. “Everyone has their challenges, but I don’t see anything like that here. I’m really surprised and I prefer to watch how far this goes,” he concluded.
Lisiane reinforced the importance of supporting athletes during a world championship, asking them to avoid situations that could generate friction. “If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but let the moment pass. Vampeta, who was once a player and champion, knows how tense it is. I just ask for respect and care not only for my family, but for the entire group, as the shock of one can affect everyone”, he argued. She highlighted the embarrassment that the family has faced on social media as the Seleção advances to the third game.
Faced with this challenging panorama, Lisiane and the other family members make an effort to have relaxed conversations with Raphinha. Communication, however, occurs mostly through messages and calls, with face-to-face meetings only being possible during the player’s days off.
“We try to offer strength, with pleasant dialogues, so that our meetings are as calm and light as possible”, he concluded. She explained that the family tries to avoid bringing up media discussions, minimizing any discomfort or embarrassment for the athlete as much as possible.