Raphinha: “I was one step away — I was very close to playing for Italy”

Barcelona’s star winger Raphinha has revealed that he was very close to playing for the Italian national team at the 2020 European Championship. According to him, everything was nearly finalized, but a last-minute coincidence kept him with the Brazilian national team.

“I was very close to playing for Italy at Euro 2020. Everything had reached the stage of official confirmation, and national team staff were constantly in touch with me. But thankfully, my passport wasn’t ready on time — and that became the best twist of fate in my life,” the player recalled.

Raphinha said that Italy’s representatives greatly appreciated his playing style and technical ability, and they had even created a special plan to include him in the squad. Midfielder Jorginho also played a key role in the process:

“I used to talk to Jorginho a lot. He really wanted me to be in the Italian squad and constantly encouraged me with positive feedback. Their project was truly interesting and caught my attention.”

Still, deep in his heart, Raphinha held on to a small hope — that one day he would play for the country where he was born and raised. He now gratefully recalls how that dream came true:

“Even when talks with Italy were intense, there was still a 1% hope in my heart that I could represent Brazil. Thank God, fate didn’t deprive me of the honor of serving my homeland.”

It’s worth remembering that Italy won the Euro 2020 title. Had the documents been ready in time, Raphinha might have become a European champion. But today, he is considered one of Brazil’s most important players and a leader on the global stage.

Currently, Raphinha is delivering outstanding performances for Barcelona, with 31 goals and 25 assists across all competitions this season.

Through this twist of fate, Raphinha has become one of the key players shaping Brazil’s future, and that coincidence allowed him to fulfill his true dream.

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