Raphinha found himself in a tense confrontation with Barcelona manager Hansi Flick and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen following Saturday night’s 1-1 draw against Real Betis.
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Barcelona missed the chance to take full advantage of Real Madrid’s earlier 2-1 loss to Valencia, as they were forced to settle for a draw at home. ..Continue Reading
Gavi put the hosts in front early in the game, but Betis quickly responded with an equaliser from Natan in the 17th minute.
After being subbed off in the 57th minute, Raphinha returned to the pitch after the final whistle, heading straight toward the match officials.
A brief but fiery interaction then occurred between him and Flick.
As Raphinha made his way to the tunnel, Ter Stegen tried to console him with an arm around his shoulder, but the Brazilian brushed him off.
In response, Ter Stegen knocked Raphinha’s arm away and gave him a shove toward the tunnel.
When asked about the incident with Raphinha after the match, Flick said: ‘He was angry with me, not with the referee, he was yelling at me.’
Raphinha has emerged as one of Barcelona’s top players this season, having racked up an impressive 24 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
Despite the draw, Barcelona maintain a four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, with both teams having completed 30 matches.
Atletico Madrid, currently in third place, could close the gap to seven points if they secure a win against Sevilla on Sunday.
Barcelona’s next challenge comes on Wednesday, when they face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash.
