Rafinha wants Barca exit due to 'crazy' Valverde selections – Mazinho

Rafinha looks set to leave Barcelona in the near future, with the Brazilian's father baffled by Ernesto Valverde's use of the midfielder.

Published : Nov 21, 2018 15:32 IST

Barcelona's Rafinha
Barcelona's Rafinha
lightbox-info

Barcelona's Rafinha

Ernesto Valverde's use of Barcelona midfielder Rafinha has been "crazy" and that could lead to a transfer away from the club in January, according to the player's father Mazinho.

Rafinha spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter after recovering from a serious knee injury and, although he played regularly, the club decided against making the move permanent.

Having returned to Barca in pre-season, the 25-year-old looked set for significant first-team opportunities, particularly given his versatility in midfield and attack.

READ: Ronaldo an AC Milan target in 2017, confirms Fassone

However, he has featured just four times from a possible 12 LaLiga matches to leave Rafinha's father puzzled and frustrated.

"It's a crazy thing. He [Rafinha] doesn't understand anything [about why he is not playing]," former Brazil international Mazinho told Sport .

"Only the coach knows why he hasn't played, and the truth is that we have to try to get Rafa back to a regular playing situation."

ALSO READ: Hard for Lazio to hold on to Milinkovic-Savic, says Lotito

"At Barcelona, he's getting three games in a row then being dropped. The coach has his way of working in his head, but for Rafa, he had a very good pre-season and some spectacular games, so this situation isn't understood."

"We have to look for an exit because it is very complicated here. It's been practically two years, he plays very little and needs a club that will give him 30 or 40 games per season."

"He hasn't had continuity in the game for a long time. We won't rule out a January transfer, and there are interested clubs. Barcelona are willing to give the transfer the green light and the player is happy, so we will work together."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment