Barcelona forward reveals the coach who he ‘owes’ everything to | OneFootball

Over the course of this season, FC Barcelona has grown as a team under the leadership of Hansi Flick. Despite some scepticism that managed to creep through even before his official appointment, a lot of things have changed since then. With the German coach in charge, Barcelona look as good as new and as dangerous as ever.

Many key players within his team are now shining and their form speaks for itself. Already the highest scoring team in Spain and the team also possesses one of the deadliest defensive tactics in European football at the moment. In many ways, Flick has completely transformed this Barcelona side.

However, while many people would also like to relate a certain Brazilian forward’s improvement this season to the appointment of Hansi Flick, Raphinha’s own words showcase that there may have been a coach who he feels even more entitled to for his career so far.

As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the 27-year-old Barcelona forward recently revealed that he ‘owes’ everything to his former Leeds United coach, Marcelo Bielsa, after deflecting the information that is coming out of the Uruguayan National team camp in regards to the Argentine coach:

“I don’t know what’s going on with the Uruguayan national team, but I do know what happened with me at Leeds under Bielsa… Almost everything I am, I owe to him.”

However, while he did praise his former coach, he did admit that not everything was smooth sailings and even they had their differences from time to time:

“I had good and bad moments with him, naturally, like in a big family. When you’re with many people in one house, conflicts are bound to happen, there will be good times and also some ‘ugly’ ones, not everything is perfect. I think in football, in a club, or in a national team, it’s the same.”

Yet, despite everything, the Barcelona star believes that he will forever be grateful to Bielsa and those moments for what they allowed him to become:

“I can only be grateful for everything I am today, for almost everything I am today.”

While Raphinha continues to enjoy a great run of form with Barcelona this season, his focus will now be towards the Brazilian National team. Expected by many to become what his country needs him to be right now, a lot of pressure is currently on the shoulders of the 27-year-old forward.