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This is the player the Blaugrana thought they were getting all along It?s not that complicated. Even great players will struggle like a fish out of water when they are stuck in the wrong environment.
Raphinha has always been a barnstorming superstar.
Unfortunately, the system that Xavi had in place was too positionally rigid for the Brazilian to shine.
Under Hansi Flick, the game has opened up, and Raphinha is free to fly.

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Flick needed a player like Raphinha to be the spark that the rest of the players would feed off of. In fact, he may be the most indispensable part of Barcelona?s winning formula.
And Raphinha needed Flick, in order to get his career back on track. He made a bet on himself all along, and never made excuses when fans and journalists criticized him for not living up to expectations. At times, he showed frustration on the sideline, but that was just the competitive animal in him trying to break out. Now, he?s wearing the captain?s armband.
And he?s manifesting what it means to be a leader by his actions. Like Dani Olmo said, when you see your teammate running and fighting that much, how can you not follow suit"

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To his credit, even when Raphinha struggled to produce highlights, he never stopped working hard.
It just so happens that intensity is step number in Flick?s system. ...