Spanish newspaper Marca revealed that there was tension between Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Brazilian winger Raphinha during the team’s time in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona returned from Saudi Arabia with the Spanish Super Cup title after defeating Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals and thrashing Real Madrid 5-0 in the final. However, Marca reported that tension arose when Raphinha had a conversation with Laporta before the training session ahead of the Athletic Bilbao match. The conversation lasted over a minute and was described as tense.
Raphinha reportedly expressed concerns about the situation involving players like Olmo and Pau Victor, stating that, if he were not a Barcelona player, he would seriously reconsider joining the club under such circumstances.
According to the report, Laporta secretly decided to listen to offers for Raphinha, preparing for a potential departure next summer. However, coach Xavi reportedly intervened, warning both Laporta and the club’s management that Raphinha is untouchable. Xavi allegedly threatened that any attempt to sell Raphinha in the future would lead to his own departure from the club.
