Barcelona winger Raphinha rejected the chance to represent the Italian National Team.
One of Barcelona’s key signings during the summer transfer window, which also saw the club sign Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski among a host of other outstanding players, was Raphinha.
Raphinha had great success while playing for Leeds United, and his recruitment by Barcelona delighted supporters because he was coming off a string of outstanding displays in the Premier League.
Raphinha has developed into a capable attacker for Barcelona and the Brazilian national team after three months of the new season. Many anticipate that the Barça forward, who has 11 caps and 5 goals to his name, will represent Brazil in the forthcoming FIFA World Cup later this month.
However, if Raphina had not made a crucial choice while he was a student at Leeds, the outcome would have been very different, according to a report from Diario SPORT.
Raphinha reportedly received an invitation to play for the Italian national team. Due to his father, the player was qualified to play for the Azurris. He turned down the chance to play for Italy since it had been his lifetime ambition to represent Brazil.
In fact, Raphinha was a tremendous fan of former Barcelona player Ronaldinho and had always aspired to play for the Selecao in order to emulate the illustrious Brazilian.
The choice appears to have paid off since Brazilian stars like Jorginho, Rafael Toloi, and Emerson are expected to miss the 2019 World Cup while Raphinha, along with players like Neymar, might become an important part of the Brazilian front line.
Raphinha, though, will aim to strengthen his performance prior to the competition’s start this month. The winger has made 16 appearances in competitive play for Barcelona since moving from Leeds, but he has only scored once, a goal against Sevilla earlier this season.
