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The former Leeds United winger is on the verge of domestic glory with Barcelona.
Raphinha admits he will be forever grateful to Marcelo Bielsa after sharing ‘something special’ together at Leeds United.
The Brazilian winger is on the verge of something special at Barcelona with Sunday’s thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid putting them within touching distance of the league title. Four points separated the two before kick-off but with just three games remaining, Hansi Flick’s side are now seven clear meaning victory over Espanyol next weekend would send the La Liga trophy to Camp Nou.
Typically, it was former Leeds man Raphinha at the heart of the action, with two first-half goals taking him on to 34 for the campaign across all competitions, an incredible return with 22 assists to boot. Madrid actually went two up inside 14 minutes with Kylian Mbappe threatening to steal the show, but Barcelona drew level just as quickly via Eric Garcia and Lamine Yamal.
Raphinha then sent Barcelona ahead for the first time just two minutes after Yamal’s equaliser, finishing well after a midfield mix-up handed his side the ball in space. And before half-time was up, the former Leeds man pounced on a loose touch by Lucas Vázquez before eventually finishing to make it 4-2, with Mbappe’s second-half hat-trick goal proving only a consolation.
Raphinha’s heartfelt message for Marcelo Bielsa as La Liga glory within touching distance
Barcelona pipped Madrid to the Copa del Rey earlier this month and despite leaving the Champions League at the semi-final stage, look set for an impressive domestic double spearheaded by the red-hot Raphinha. And the Camp Nou hero was keen to recognise the efforts of his former Leeds boss when reflecting on a memorable campaign.
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“He was the person responsible for getting me to play in the Premier League, which was my dream, and being able to enjoy that moment with him was something special,” Raphinha told DSports, as quoted by MDZol, of Bielsa following Sunday’s huge win. “In the end, he’s given me a lot.
“I have to thank him a lot for being here, because if Barça was interested in me, it was because of the work I did at Leeds, and especially the work Marcelo made me do. I’m very grateful to him, forever.”
'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'.'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'.
'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'. | 'Award winning South Indian Restaurants proud to carry Leeds United in our hearts'.
Raphinha and Barcelona could now be crowned La Liga champions as soon as Thursday, with victory at local rivals Espanyol enough to guarantee they finish top. The Blaugrana have now won 14 of their last 15 league games and only a disaster would keep them from claiming a domestic double.
That would only improve Raphinha’s chance of winning the Ballon d’Or later this year, which would be an incredible achievement for the winger who left Leeds for Barcelona in 2022. In such a case, he would become the first player to feature for the Whites who has then gone on to be crowned the world’s best player.
It remains to be seen if Leeds will receive any kind of bonus payment if Raphinha goes on to win the award, with Spanish media reporting back in 2022 of a clause related to the Champions League. There was no mention of anything in relation to the Ballon d’Or, however.
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