Striker Raphinha opened up about the difference in treatment he receives from fans in Brazil compared to European football. A standout for Barcelona in the last European season with 21 goals scored and seven assists, the player admitted that his distance from national football since the beginning of his career affected his relationship with the local public.
The statement comes amid the demands faced by the athlete to repeat in the Brazilian team the same role he plays in his club. The striker faced recent physical problems that limited his participation in the preparatory cycle, playing in only half of the 12 matches under the command of coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Connection with fans and performance-based charging
The lack of a professional career in major Brazilian football clubs is pointed out by the striker himself as the main reason for distancing himself from the public. Raphinha left the country at a young age for Europe, without time to build a local fan base.
This reality reverberates directly in the stands when the performance with the yellow jersey is called into question. The player compared his situation with that of teammates, such as striker Vini Jr, who are also dealing with pressure to perform identically to their European clubs.
Shielding against criticism and the ghost of previous fasts
To deal with the strong external pressure and the virtual environment, the most experienced athletes in the squad have led a kind of “digital shielding” with the younger ones. The objective is to prevent excessive opinions on social networks from disrupting the group’s concentration or generating false expectations.
Raphinha highlighted that she understands the immediate distrust on the part of the public. According to him, the frustrations accumulated by fans in past World Cups generate a defensive posture among fans, who avoid getting excited too soon so as not to suffer from new eliminations.
Tactical evolution and maturity compared to 2022
The striker’s current scenario is much safer compared to the tournament played in Qatar. The athlete revealed that he arrived at the 2022 World Cup very immature professionally, a period that also coincided with his transfer and initial adaptation to Barcelona.
In Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical scheme, versatility has been the keynote of the work. Although he prefers to play wide on the right side of the field, Raphinha made himself available to play centrally or on the left flank, a role he has played in recent matches and in the Spanish league itself.
Focus on defensive balance for the debut
Despite the strong firepower of the Brazilian attack, which has big names and variations in characteristics between Endrick and Igor Thiago, the squad focuses on final adjustments at the rear. The internal understanding is that defensive balance is the determining factor for advancing in short shot tournaments.
The Brazilian team’s debut in the group stage of the World Cup will take place next Saturday, at 7pm (Brasília time), against Morocco, in New Jersey, in the United States.
