Recent rumors about the financial situation of Brazilian national team player Raphinha gained prominence following statements by former athlete Vampeta. Portal LeoDias investigated in depth the behind-the-scenes of the Barcelona right-winger’s family, seeking to clarify the origins of the alleged problems and internal conflicts.
How financial disagreements in the family began
The root of the family disagreements emerged shortly before the 2022 World Cup, a period in which Raphinha experienced a significant rise in European football. On that occasion, the player transferred from Leeds United, in England, to Barcelona, in Spain, in a deal worth millions of dollars that exceeded 49 million pounds, the equivalent of more than R$310 million.
After moving to the Catalan capital, the player and his wife, Natália Belloli, were enchanted by a luxurious property valued at 10 million euros, around R$56 million. However, when analyzing the feasibility of the purchase, Raphinha’s wife found that the couple did not have the necessary resources to acquire the property, which raised questions, given the high salary he already received in English football and his lucrative image rights contracts.
With the addition of the new income in Barcelona and the old commercial agreements, theoretically, the family should not face difficulties in acquiring the mansion. Intrigued by the lack of capital, Natália delved deeper into Raphinha’s contractual relationships and discovered that a considerable portion of the amounts received by the player were directed to the accounts of her father, Rafael Belloli.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that 80% of the amounts from advertising contracts went to Raphinha’s father, leaving only 20% for the athlete. Furthermore, a substantial part of the player’s salaries were also passed on to his father, a common arrangement in which players’ salaries are divided between “in-portfolio” salary and image rights.
This finding generated deep dissatisfaction in the player’s wife, culminating in a drastic restructuring of financial management between father and son. Since then, the family has been divided, experiencing a period of constant friction.
Changes in career management and future at Barcelona
Previously, Raphinha’s career was managed by her father, Rafael Belloli, in partnership with former player and businessman Deco. However, Deco had to step away from management when he took on a management role at Barcelona, changing the dynamic.
In the midst of these events, Raphinha ended her contractual relationship with her father. According to information from journalist Jorge Nicola, from the R7 portal, the player’s father-in-law, Alexandre Madeira, now recognized as a “FIFA agent”, started to help with career decisions. However, people close to Raphinha assure that he no longer has permanent businesspeople, and his father-in-law only acts as an advisor.
Both Raphinha and his family deny the possibility of leaving Barcelona at this time. The player recently signed a contract renewal that guarantees him a monthly salary of R$8 million, placing him among the three highest-paid athletes on the squad. Furthermore, Raphinha shows no interest in moving to Saudi football, which, despite offering the highest salaries in the world, does not present the competitive level desired by the striker. Proposals from Arab clubs were rejected in the last transfer window, both by the player and the Spanish club.
Efforts to contact and position the parties
Portal LeoDias tried to contact Raphinha and his wife, Natália Belloli, to obtain a position on the revelations, but there was no response until the publication of this report. The team also searched for the player’s father, Rafael Belloli, without success. The space remains open for future demonstrations by those involved.