I Thought About Leaving Barcelona 6 Months After I Joined – Raphinha

Barcelona forward, Raphinha has come out to admit that he once thought about leaving the club. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, he definitely battled a complicated period during his first six months at Barcelona, and even if he knew it would be tough to adapt to his new surroundings, he never expected it to be so difficult on a personal level.

Raphinha added that the rumours of an exit also ended up bothering him because his family members saw it all on social media.

His words, “Did I consider leaving? Yes. The first six months were complicated for me and my family. After the World Cup, I improved and managed to finish the season well, but at the beginning, it was very challenging.

My adaptation to the club was difficult. I knew it was something that had to happen, but not that it would be so difficult on a personal level. This moved my head a little, I sometimes thought about leaving. Not at the end of the season, but in the first half of the season. Barça is a huge club and it is normal for it to be difficult. I wasn’t used to that, but it happened quickly.

It’s annoying to see rumours, it’s normal. I’m not active on social media, but my wife and friends do see it. Every day there’s a different piece of news, whether I’m going here or there, and that ends up bothering you. The first six months were very hard. I learned that in every transfer window, my name will be there. My head has always been here. Every season I think about doing more than the previous one and showing that I’m capable of being here for many years.”

WOW.

Futbol Club Barcelona, commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça, is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.

Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, Catalan, German, and English footballers led by Joan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism, hence the motto “Més que un club” (“More than a club”). Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona.

There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in La Liga, where the game between Barcelona and Real Madrid is known as “The Classic” (El Clásico).

From the start of national competitions the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain: Catalonia and Castile, as well as of the two cities. The rivalry reflects what many regard as the political and cultural tensions felt between Catalans and the Castilians, seen by one author as a re-enactment of the Spanish Civil War. Over the years, the head-to-head record between the two clubs is 102 victories for Madrid, 100 victories for Barcelona, and 52 draws.