Raphinha criticizes “lack of respect” over fan gesture with Nico Williams Barcelona jersey

Before the start of the season, it looked like Raphinha would definitely leave Barcelona, ​​but the Brazilian continued to reject all offers to leave the club in the summer, betting that he would turn things around under new coach Hansi Flick.

Two months have passed and now Raphinha is captain and an indispensable part of the team, playing as well as anyone in Europe at the start of the season. The 27-year-old has shown that he has what it takes to succeed at Barça and has even proven some of his own fans wrong.

These 'fans' wanted Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams to replace Raphinha in the summer and even posted pictures on social media of Nico wearing his number 11 shirt, a gesture which he mocked at the time and which clearly motivated him to do so , playing the best football of all time in his career.

He told the media in a press conference on Tuesday, adding that it was a lack of respect for him and the work he had done as a Barça player.

“It was a tasteless joke. People should respect the club's players. I didn't like seeing a photo like this. It was a lack of respect for my work.

“It didn't affect my start, but I'm motivated, I still have two years left on my contract. I realized I had to adapt to different positions and a different style of play, but I'm doing my best. If I worked at 100 percent, I now give 200 percent.”

It's been great to see Raphinha's development as a person, leader and player this season, but it's also nice to see the Petty stay alive and well with him. He will now look to showcase his amazing form in two monster games against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and prove that Barça never needed Nico.