“I never imagined that Raphinha could reach Barcelona”

Current Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins used to coach a young Raphinha at Vitória SC, and, among many other topics, he talked about the Brazilian’s current form in a recent interview with Flashscore. Martins spoke highly about Raphinha and also about Manchester City’s Ederson, whom he coached at Río Ave, “you could see that they were both very young players with a lot of talent, quality and fantastic scope for progression. If they developed, they could reach higher levels”.

Martins continues speaking about Barça’s forward, “of course, I never imagined that Raphinha could reach Barcelona, not because I didn’t see the quality, but he was very young”, before remembering the Brazilian’s arrival, “he arrived from Brazil at a very young age and had to learn the moments and phases to press and pause”.

“He had a very good season with me at Vitória SC, at Sporting too, and now he’s more visible and they say it’s his best season ever, but only he can say. He’s much more mature, he was already a natural finisher, a winger with that particularity; he was very forward and didn’t miss a chance”, explains Martins.

The Portuguese manager praises Raphinha’s mentality and upbringing, “I have a very close relationship with the players. Although I didn’t get to know his parents very well, I could tell there was a very strong family structure and he was very attached to his parents. And then he had a hunger to win in the world of football and that made the difference in getting to where he is now”.

Pedro Matins sums up his views on Raphinha, “he was a player who always wanted to listen, always very attentive to information. He had talent, but he’s where he is thanks to hard work, dedication and commitment.”