Raphinha turns Barcelona’s crisis into a record-breaking No 9 season
Raphinha has turned a Barcelona shortage of strikers into one of the most remarkable starts to a season in the club’s history. Deployed as an emergency No 9, the Brazil international has scored 12 times in seven La Liga matches and added two goals in the Champions League.
An emergency role becomes a starring one
The positional switch began during pre-season after Barcelona were left without a recognised striker for a friendly against Basel. With the club unable to prise Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid, manager Hansi Flick tested Raphinha through the middle and quickly became convinced the experiment could work.
“There was a moment of need,” Raphinha said. “There was no No 9 for the [friendly] against Basel, so I played there.” After that match, Flick explained his plans and asked whether Raphinha was comfortable continuing in the position. The forward agreed to try it, having already developed the habit of moving inside from the left.
The results have been immediate. Raphinha scored twice against Elche, then found the net against Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano before adding further goals against Valencia, Racing and Sevilla. His Racing performance included a hat-trick, while his goals have come with both feet and his head, combining the intensity of a wide forward with the movement and finishing of a traditional centre-forward.
From expected departure to long-term commitment
Raphinha’s transformation is all the more striking because he had believed his Barcelona career was over. In 2024, he felt underused and sensed the club were considering selling him, while the emergence of Lamine Yamal and Barcelona’s interest in Nico Williams appeared to point towards an exit.
“In my head, I knew I was leaving,” Raphinha said. “That was [mentally] done, that’s the truth.” A conversation with Flick changed his mind. The coach told him he was trusted, would be important and could thrive in the team’s football. “In a moment like that, a few small words can change you,” Raphinha recalled.
That renewed confidence has since been rewarded with major performances and a contract extension through 2030. Raphinha, who would like to finish his career at Barcelona, says Flick “changed my mentality” and changed him as a person.
Barcelona’s new leader
His influence now extends beyond goals. Barcelona’s players voted Raphinha as one of the club captains, and Flick has made him his first choice for the armband. The forward says the vote produced “a switch” in his mindset because it showed him that his teammates saw leadership qualities he had not recognised in himself.
“I talk less than most captains but I know people are watching,” he said. “They think: ‘If this guy’s running like an animal, I have to follow.’” His relentless pressing and running have become a model for the rest of the team, with Barcelona’s defensive work beginning from the No 9.
Flick has described Raphinha as the “perfect captain”, while Raphinha insists the system is collective rather than centred on him. Even when he has not scored, he has contributed: against Levante, he created Barcelona’s first two goals before handing over a penalty to Lamine Yamal.
Barcelona’s attack has produced five, two, five, five, five, four, seven and three goals in their first eight league games. Raphinha’s reinvention has been the headline, but his contribution to the team’s pressing, movement and leadership has made him much more than a temporary solution at centre-forward.