Good things come to those who put their heads down and work hard.
That’s the story of Raphinha this season.
The flashy Brazilian arrived at the Camp Nou with the expectation that he would be the replacement for Ousmane Dembele.
In a surprising turn of events, the Frenchman renewed his contract at Barcelona, and Xavi had his main man back in the lineup.
The question was whether the two could coexist in the same starting eleven. With Dembele’s ability to play on the left wing, there were moments early on when it seemed to work, but ultimately, Raphinha was the odd man out when the manager concluded it was one or the other.