Barcelona winger Raphinha has shown his respect for former Celtic defender Alexandro Bernabei by calling him “an ace” on Instagram. The Brazilian posted a photo of himself holding Bernabei’s Internacional shirt to his 13.7 million followers.
Raphinha is one of the best players in Europe right now. He helped Barcelona win three trophies this season: La Liga, the Spanish Cup, and the Super Cup. Many people believe he could win the Ballon d’Or, the award given to the best player in the world. His praise for Bernabei is a big compliment.
Soccer Football – LaLiga – FC Barcelona v Real Madrid – Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain – May 11, 2025 FC Barcelona’s Raphinha celebrates scoring their fourth goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
Bernabei joined Celtic in 2022 from Lanús in Argentina. He was expected to compete with Greg Taylor for the left-back position. However, things didn’t work out as planned. Taylor continued to play well and kept his place in the starting XI under both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.
Bernabei showed skill at times but couldn’t get a consistent run in the team. He played some games, but never became a regular starter. Like many other signings before him, he found it hard to break into the team and left without making a big impact.
In early 2024, Bernabei moved to Internacional in Brazil. At first, it was a loan deal. Later, the move became permanent for around £4.5 million. This gave Celtic a small profit, as they had paid about £3.75 million for him.
📸 Raphinha (FC Barcelona) recebeu uma camisa de Alexandro Bernabei! 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/O4epz19DiV
— Internacional TimeLine (@InterTimeLine) May 29, 2025
More importantly, Celtic added a sell-on clause to the deal. If Internacional sells Bernabei in the future, Celtic will get a share of that transfer fee.
Bernabei is now doing well in Brazil, and it seems his career is back on track. Raphinha’s kind words could mean that the left-back is getting noticed again. Although Bernabei didn’t become a star at Celtic, he may still go on to have a successful career.
Alexandro Bernabei Celtic
7th February 2024; Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Alexandro Bernabei of Celtic
For Celtic, the transfer wasn’t a total loss. They made a bit of money and may still benefit in the future if Bernabei’s value continues to rise. Sometimes, players need a change of scene to show their best. Bernabei might be one of those cases.
Raphinha’s post will have surprised many Celtic fans, but it shows that Bernabei is still earning respect in Brazil.
Tees for Tims - Jota Celtic