Rafinha will rejoin the Barcelona squad with the commitment to turn the page on a World Cup that did not turn out personally and collectively as planned and for which it had so prepared. The Seleção’s early elimination by Croatia in the quarter-finals plunged all of Brazil into a depression not seen since the 7-1 defeat to Germany at the 2014 World Cup.
The global ‘canarinhos’ are psychologically overwhelmed because there is a conviction within the group itself that, this time, a ‘sixth’ was possible. Recovering the “coconut” will be the first challenge for Rafinha, who can take advantage of the stage in Barcelona, and commit to winning important titles from now on, to join the football elite in full force. The Brazilian loves challenges and pressure, and he has already said that the team must win all titles. There is another problem, which is becoming more personal now, and that is that the Gaucho winger needs to regain the level he showed at Leeds United, which opened the doors for him in Seleção and Barcelona, at least, to maintain the status he achieved
If he wants to be in the new project for Brazil, which will now begin with the election of a new coach, then he must perform at the highest level in Barcelona, because the World Cup he played was irregular and the press in his country that distributes the right and wrong has prepared with it. The Blaugrana lost the aura of consensus with which it reached Qatar
And in Barcelona, Rafinha must beat Ousmane Dembele for possession. The Frenchman, who can return the World Cup under his arm, prefers Xavi Hernandez, whom he considers the cornerstone of the project
In favor of “Ravenha” is the fact that he is still in the process of adapting to the team, the game system, the club and the League, and therefore, under normal circumstances, his performance tends to improve when 2023 begins, as they must show greater regularity and better understanding with their peers
Rafinha left the World Cup with the thorn in her side for not seeing the goal, but she is one of the most influential strikers in Brazil. The Barcelona player was one of the biggest losers in Tite’s chaotic tactics, because he played almost every minute in isolation on the right wing of attack, where the right side never doubled (be it Danilo or Eder Militau later). For the first time in the history of the “Squares” team, their coach did not let the right-backs play the role of flankers and forced them to keep the line of four behind themThe gaucho coach, stubborn with his double pivot and playing without spaces, emptied the wide area (as Croatia won the battle). And Rafinha, in all matches, had to run back very close to his defensive line for a more typical tactical action than a midfielder. In this aspect, he was more disciplined than Vinicius Jr., and ultimately, this affected him in building the offensive game. He did exactly what his coach told him to do, and instead of promoting his virtues, the tactical tasks to be carried out tarnished his image
In the attack, the “perfect storm” that Tete had planned did not work either, with the constant exchange of positions to counter the heavily congested and closed defences. The matches in which Neymar, who linked up well with Rafinha, were not due to injury, were also played against the Barcelona player.