“I was practically ready to go” - Barcelona’s Raphinha opens up on almost switching nationality from Brazil to surprise European powerhouse  

Barcelona winger Raphinha has stated that he was close to accepting a call-up from the Italian national team before ultimately representing Brazil. The 28-year-old made his debut for the Brazil national team in October 2021, but he claimed he could have played for Italy at Euro 2020, which was held in the summer of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raphinha was eligible to don the famous Azzurri jersey through his father, who is of Italian descent. During an interview with journalist Isabela Pagliari, Raphinha said he was on the verge of joining Italy, with midfielder Jorginho calling him constantly to convince him to switch allegiances.

“I was close to accepting the call-up from the Italian national team," Raphinha said (via GOAL). "I was supposed to go to the European Championship that they won in 2020. I was practically ready to go. Luckily, the passport didn’t arrive. At that time, the people from the Italian national team were calling me. Jorginho was calling me constantly."

"The Italian coaching staff had an incredible project for me, something that really caught my attention. But at the same time, deep down, I still had a little hope of being able to wear the Brazil jersey. And luckily, my Italian passport didn’t arrive on time! I am thankful every day that I can come back to my nation and be with my compatriots. This is something I could not trade for all the goals in the world!"

Italy won the 2020 European Championships after defeating England in the final via penalty shootout.

Since making his first bow with the Brazil national team, Raphinha has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances across competitions.

When Raphinha stated he was close to leaving Barcelona last summer

In March, Raphinha said he considered leaving Barcelona after the 2024 Copa America. The winger joined Barça from Leeds United in 2022 but struggled for form in his first two seasons at the Catalan club. Consequently, he found himself on the chopping block.

However, a bright start to life under Hansi Flick has seen Raphinha cement his position as a key player for Barcelona. Speaking to Globo Esporte, the former Leeds man said he thought about leaving La Blaugrana as he wasn't settled in Catalonia. He said (via GOAL):

"I was thinking about leaving Barça after the Copa América. I wasn’t feeling mentally comfortable until Flick called me. Every day, there were rumours about me signing for one team or another. Things didn’t go as they should have; I had a worse season than expected, and I saw people asking me to leave while reports of my departure surfaced daily. I seriously considered leaving."

While Robert Lewandowski leads the goal-scoring charts (40 goals) for Barcelona this season, Raphinha has the most goal contributions (56).