Hansi Flick pulled back the curtain on a viral exchange between himself and Raphinha on Saturday afternoon, revealing the Brazilian was assuring him Barcelona will be “much better” in their upcoming matches.
The Catalans dispatched Alavés 3–1 at the Camp Nou to close out their November slate, momentarily going top of La Liga with 34 points from 14 matches. The win was a much-needed bounce back for Barcelona after they suffered a midweek 3–0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League.
Yet even though Flick’s men collected three points at the weekend, they still looked subpar from their championship-winning form of last season, prompting Raphinha to have a one-on-one talk with the German boss following the final whistle.
Images and video emerged of the two engaged in an emotional exchange on the bench, with Flick shaking his head and then remaining on the bench in silence long after Raphinha left.
“After the final whistle, Raphinha told me the same thing as last time: ‘We’re going to improve. We’ll be much better in the next few matches,’” Flick revealed.
Barcelona conceded inside of 60 seconds against Alavés, needing yet another comeback to snatch three points in La Liga. An equalizer from Lamine Yamal and a brace from Dani Olmo lifted the Catalans to victory, but concern surrounding the Spanish champions’ defense remains.
