Rafinha to end his career with Barcelona

Raphinha, the Brazilian captain of Spanish champions Barcelona, expressed his hope to extend his contract with the club and end his football career in their ranks, following his strong start to the season.

The Brazilian winger has taken on the striker role after the departures of Poland’s Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres from Barcelona. He has quickly adapted to his new position, scoring 11 goals in seven matches.

Raphinha said: “Yes, I intend to extend my contract. When I first renewed, I signed until 2028, assuming I would be 30 or 31 by then, and I didn’t know how things would unfold.”

The 29-year-old added: “Given how I’ve started the season, I believe I can continue for several more years. I would be very happy to extend my contract, and I hope to end my career here without needing to move elsewhere.”

Raphinha assumed the captaincy at the start of the season following the departures of Uruguay’s Ronald Araujo and German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, as well as the knee injury sustained by the Netherlands’ Frenkie de Jong.

The former Leeds United player joined Barcelona in 2022, but the arrival of German manager Hansi Flick two years later marked a turning point, both for the club and for Raphinha, who had begun to feel increasingly frustrated during the tenure of former coach Xavi Hernandez.