“If he hadn’t been the coach of Barcelona, I wouldn’t wear this shirt” - Raphinha opens up on Xavi impact after remarkable return to form

Barcelona winger Raphinha has opened up on the impact former manager Xavi Hernandez had on his decision to stay with La Blaugrana. The winger struggled for form under the club legend last season, scoring just six goals and providing nine assists in 28 La Liga games.

Raphinha appeared to be on his way out of Camp Nou, with several reports linking him with a move away from the club. However, the winger remained at the club. He has now talked about what Xavi did to keep him with the Catalan giants, telling France Football (via GOAL):

"Although there were many rumours about my departure last season, he (Xavi) kept telling me that he was counting on me. If he hadn’t been the coach of Barca, I wouldn’t wear this shirt that I’ve always dreamed of wearing. Xavi was convinced that with hard work I would become an important player."

The Barcelona superstar added that new manager Hansi Flick also had a role to play. He said:

"When his (Flick's) arrival was made official, he called me and told me that he was one of the players he counted on, without knowing me or having seen me train. This was very important in my decision to stay. I knew it would be important for the team."

Raphinha has been in remarkable form this season, having stayed with Barcelona. In just 22 La Liga games, he has scored 12 goals and provided six assists, while leading the club to clinch the Supercopa de Espana.

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Barcelona boss Hansi Flick pleased after progression to Copa del Rey semi-final

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is pleased with his players after they clinched a 5-0 win over Valencia in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. The match took place at the Mestalla on February 6.

Speaking after the win, Flick said in his press conference (via the club's website):

"The team went out just as focused as they did at the Estadi Olímpic... I am happy with the way we played and how the team is concentrating on scoring goals. I like this team's mentality ... But there are some tough weeks ahead and it is very important to get everybody into form."

Indeed, Barcelona have a difficult schedule in the coming weeks, starting with a La Liga clash against Sevilla tomorrow (February 9) at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Matches against Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol, and Las Palmas follow for the rest of the month.