Barcelona’s designs on taking six points clear at the La Liga top were foiled after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Real Betis, but the true drama was reserved for the end.
Brazilian winger Raphinha, who had been given the night off to start the game, lost control of himself after getting into a fight with the assistant referee to whom he was screaming at having instructed him to “shut up.”
The fight got out of control to the point where manager Hansi Flick had to grab hold of the angry forward by the shoulder, and when goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen tried to intervene, Raphinha pushed the teammate out of the way before he was escorted off the field.
The outburst comes on the back of a difficult time for Raphinha, who returned from a wildcat international break with Brazil, having been roundly criticized after their 1-0 defeat to Argentina.
The winger, who has been brilliant for Barcelona this season and is even being touted as an outside contender for the Ballon d’Or, clearly took that anger with him on Saturday.
As much as his passion is never in doubt, the outburst does leave you wondering whether or not he can keep his cool under pressure – something that will be critical as Barcelona fights its way into the business end of their campaign.
For all the points dropped, Barcelona remains four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and still in the Champions League, where they are currently battling it out with Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.
The club will hope Raphinha plays on his emotions as they chase trophies on both fronts, his performance set to be a massive contributor to their cause.
Saturday’s incident, however, is a reminder that the Brazilian’s hot head could be a blessing or curse in the tight weeks ahead.
🇧🇷🤬 El monumental enfado de Raphinha en el césped de Montjuic tras el #BarçaRealBetis
🇩🇪🧤 Ter Stegen fue quien tuvo que mediar cuando el brasileño discutía con el linier del partidopic.twitter.com/79fYylBwYf
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) April 5, 2025
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