The dismissal of manager Xavi in May and subsequent appointment of Hansi Flick changed everything.
The German coach gave him a bigger role and allowed him to play with confidence. He is now a player reborn.
Flick focused his work on the importance of making smarter decisions, knowing when to dribble, when to pass. The more direct style suited him too.
These days he loses the ball less and is more efficient and composed in front of goal. His current stats are remarkable.
He has 26 goals and 19 assists in 40 games and has scored in every match he has played in the Champions League this season. He has established himself as one of Barcelona’s key players and a genuine Ballon d’Or contender.
He has also been voted as one of the team captains, receiving the fourth-highest tally of votes behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong. When they were injured he became the club’s outright skipper.
Lamine Yamal, who also played a starring role in Tuesday’s win over Benfica, has publicly said Raphinha is his main mentor in the squad.
That complements well with the fact that with the Brazilian national team he is the undisputed number one leader in the group.
His last-minute winner in the club’s pulsating 4-5 group stage win in Benfica was a key moment in his and the club’s season.
His celebration, with Barca’s entire bench running towards him in the pouring rain, became a symbolic image of the team’s unity and cemented his status as a dressing room leader.
He is clearly one of the most-respected voices in the dressing room, not overly vocal, but rather a leader by example, not just in matches but just as importantly in training.
Raphinha knows just how hard it has been for him to get where he is today, just how fickle footballing fate can be and that it is primarily during your most successful times that you find yourself closest to failure.
To that end he leaves nothing to chance. He has spoken openly about how he avoids distractions outside football.
He has no interest in nightlife or partying, preferring to spend time at home with his family or focusing on training. It is this discipline that has been key to raising him to his physical and mental peak.
And now he has reached this point, there is no stopping him and if Barcelona go far in the Champions League, nobody should argue his right to be considered one of the top players in the world.
