Barcelona manager Hansi Flick lauded Raphinha’s mentality after the Brazilian haunted Real Madrid once again with two goals in his team’s 3-2 Spanish Supercopa final win in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Raphinha opened and closed the scoring, with Robert Lewandowski adding a goal, for Barça, who won their fourth trophy under Flick. Vinícius Júnior and Gonzalo García scored for Real Madrid.
Raphinha, the former Leeds United forward, has scored seven times in his past six Clásicos, while also supplying three assists.
«His mentality is unbelievable,» Flick said of Raphinha, who also scored twice in the semifinal win over Athletic Club. «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.»
Raphinha has now scored eight times in 10 appearances since returning from injury at the end of November.
His return has also coincided with Barça’s best run of the season. With Sunday’s win against Madrid, the LaLiga leaders have now won 10 consecutive matches in all competitions.
Raphinha credited Flick for his performances since the German coach came aboard 18 months ago.
«[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.»
Barça have won three consecutive finals against Madrid for the first time — two Supercopas and one Copa del Rey. Including last season’s LaLiga title, Barça have claimed the past four trophies available in Spanish football.
Despite that, Raphinha insists the team still has an appetite for more hardware, with LaLiga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey still up for grabs.
«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. «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.»
