‘We Decided’—Hansi Flick Responds to Reports of Raphinha Disciplinary Breach

Barcelona winger Raphinha is reported to have been dropped for Sunday’s win over Valencia after arriving late to a session, but manager Hansi Flick refused to reveal any details.

Raphinha had started the previous three La Liga games this season but was surprisingly named on the bench for Sunday’s game, with summer signing Roony Bardghji taking his place in the starting lineup. The Brazilian was brought on for the second half and still managed to net twice in a 6–0 victory.

Numerous reports, including from The Athletic and ESPN, note Raphinha’s omission from the starting lineup was down to a timekeeping issue. The 28-year-old is understood to have been late to a pre-game muscle activation session on Sunday morning, although there are suggestions this was down to a misunderstanding.

Regardless of the intent behind Raphinha’s tardiness, Flick is known to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to players arriving late. Jules Koundé has fallen foul of the manager’s rules on a number of occasions and has found himself dropped from the starting lineup as a result.

Clearly, there was no bad blood between Flick and Raphinha, who was still given 45 minutes off the bench in what was a comfortable victory for the reigning La Liga champions.

Flick was asked to confirm the reports after the final whistle, but he took a light-hearted approach to his response as he kept the focus on Bardghji’s full debut.

“We’ve always only had 11 players who could start, but we have more in the squad,” Flick laughed. “Bardghji started because he trains well and his attitude is really fantastic. I love what I see and also his mentality; he always wants to learn, always wants to play with the team, and he’s been good.”

Speaking to Movistar+, Flick added: “We decided. Roony had trained well, was in a good frame of mind, and Raphinha was coming off a trip.”

Raphinha’s lateness may actually have been a blessing in disguise for Barcelona, who face a quick turnaround before Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Newcastle United. The Brazil international will likely be restored to the starting lineup and will have fresh legs after a truncated outing against Valencia.