Barcelona's Precise Positioning! Activating the 58 Million Euro Kingpin: 28 Games, 29 Goals Alone, Outshining Yamaer
Coach Flick, who has won six titles, has been coaching Barcelona with a win rate of 72.4% since his arrival, making him the coach with the highest win rate for Barcelona after Enrique (76.2%), who had the MSN trio. Under Flick's leadership, Barcelona has defeated Real Madrid twice with a combined score of 9-2, and Flick's Barcelona has won the Spanish Super Cup. Barcelona's goal tally in the league this season is second only to Bayern Munich, and they have the most goals in the Champions League, showing the obvious changes Flick has brought to Barcelona.
Since Flick took over Barcelona, the player who has shown the most improvement is undoubtedly Rafinha. Barcelona's outstanding performance this season is closely related to Rafinha's phenomenal performance, as he is a key figure in the team's transformation. Rafinha joined Barcelona from Leeds United for a transfer fee of 58 million euros (Barcelona's top signing in the summer window of 2022). Previously, under Xavi's management, Rafinha's performance was lukewarm, and his high transfer fee was questioned, but he showed improvement when moved to the left wing.
Last summer, Rafinha's market value was 50 million euros, and at that time, he was not considered an indispensable player for Barcelona, being linked with Saudi teams. According to Romano, Rafinha wanted to stay, which was his first choice. His decision proved to be correct, as Flick's arrival allowed Rafinha to transform, increasing his market value to 80 million euros.
Under the leadership of the front three, Barcelona's attacking power this season is extremely strong. Among them, Lewandowski has scored 26 goals and provided 3 assists in 27 appearances, Rafinha has scored 20 goals and provided 9 assists in 28 appearances (he scored 20 goals and provided 23 assists in 87 games in the previous two seasons), and Yamaer has scored 9 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 appearances. In Barcelona's front three, although Yamaer always receives more praise this season, in fact, Rafinha's performance is better and more comprehensive.
Xavi moved Rafinha to the left winger position, and Flick's use of Rafinha is more conducive to the player showcasing his characteristics. Under Flick, Rafinha has more freedom in his positioning. He often appears on the left flank, but also moves to the center and makes forward runs into the penalty area, becoming a free man in Barcelona's front line. The former number 10 of Leeds United, after gaining a high tactical status at Barcelona, has demonstrated his all-round abilities.
Brazilian attackers such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Neymar, and Vinicius are often labeled as "geniuses," "talented," "technical," and "intuitive," but Rafinha's style is different from theirs. Although Rafinha's technique is also excellent, his biggest feature is actually diligence and relentless effort, contributing greatly in attack and working hard in defense as well.
The 28-year-old Rafinha has now entered the ranks of top players. Brazilian legend Rivaldo believes that Yamaer and Rafinha are currently leading the race for the Ballon d'Or. As for whether Rafinha can win the Ballon d'Or, we will wait and see.