Raphinha has thanked Marcelo Bielsa for putting him on the street to stardom with Barcelona and Brazil after their time running together at Leeds United. Tricky winger Raphinha's form for Leeds in the 2021-22 marketing campaign especially earned him his first caps for Brazil and in the end caused a huge-money switch to Barcelona this month.
The 25-year-old contributed to 29 Premier League goals for Leeds – 5 more than any team-mate – along with his intention involvements assisting to keep them inside the division final season. Across his 19 months in England's pinnacle flight, handiest Tottenham's Son Heung-min (131) created greater probabilities than Raphinha's tally of 129, highlighting his creativity.
Raphinha thrived in Bielsa's physically traumatic system, and also impressed beneath the Argentine train's successor Jesse Marsh inside the returned stop of the preceding campaign. Having now cemented his location within the Brazil squad beforehand of the World Cup, and hit the floor strolling with new membership Barca, Raphinha stays indebted to Bielsa.
"He is a instruct who helped me plenty from the primary moment I arrived at Leeds," Raphinha told 'Mundo Deportivo'. "He continually demands more, usually demands most performance. He helped me get to the national team and helped me get to Barca.
"If it wasn't for his teachings, as a group or in my opinion, I probably would not be here." Raphinha spent only one season at Sporting CP and Rennes before heading to Leeds in October 2020. Now at a fourth membership in as a few years, the Porto Alegre native has already made himself a fan favorite along with his triumphing intention on this week's friendly in opposition to Real Madrid.
"I hope it will be the first of many 'Clasico' desires," Raphinha stated. "Being a 'Clasico', it gave me a unique sensation, one it really is difficult to provide an explanation for. It made me very glad."
