Barcelona striker Raphinha has said working with a psychologist is essential for anyone wanting to pursue a career as a professional footballer and not let the sport “destroy you”.
Raphinha, 27, has started the season in fine form, scoring a hat-trick in Saturday's 7-0 win over Real Valladolid, but his time at Barca has not always been easy.
Since joining from Leeds United in 2022 for 55 million euros ($60.7 million), he has struggled to adapt to the club, seen his performances criticised and has been regularly linked with a move elsewhere.
Asked if he ever thought about leaving Barca, Raphinha told RAC1: “Yes, in my first six months here. They were complicated for me and my family. I felt better after the game.” [Qatar] He played in the World Cup and finished the season well, but the adaptation was difficult.
“I thought about leaving at times, but those thoughts passed quickly. This is Barça. The club is big, it's normal that it's difficult.
“If you work hard and want to have a career in football, you can't give up. I've had many reasons to give up, leave football and move on with my life. It's a profession that destroys you.
“There have been times when I've come home and I didn't know if I would get up the next morning to train again. I've cried, here [at Barça] also.
“I do psychological work because I have seen how important it is. Everyone should do it because it helps a lot.
“If you don't take care of yourself, football destroys you. It's very easy to get depressed and give up on everything.”
Even this summer, after registering 10 goals and 13 assists in all competitions last season, Raphinha was linked with a possible exit from Barca, with English and Saudi clubs interested in him.
Meanwhile, Barca were keen on signing a left winger, with Nico Williams and Federico Chiesa in their sights to cover a position that has been Raphinha's since the emergence of Lamine Yamal on the right.
“It's annoying to see [the stories]”although it is normal,” he added regarding the constant speculation about transfers.
“Every day there is something, I go this way or that way. It ends up bothering you, of course, but my mind has always been here. I have received many offers but the best thing for me is to be at Barça.”
Raphinha, who is one of the club's captains this season, has not been called up by Brazil during the September international break despite his impressive start to the season under new coach Hansi Flick, with Barca winning their first four games.
That means he will enjoy some free time over the weekend, but he was training on Tuesday as Flick bolstered the squad by calling up several youngsters, including US youth international Pedro Soma.
Soma, 18, joined the club's reserve team from Cornellà last week and was an unused substitute in the weekend's 2-1 defeat to Andorra in the Spanish third division.
He was one of six Barça Atlètic players called up by Flick, which also includes defender Landry Farré, another member of the 2007 generation that included Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Marc Bernal.
