‘Who does he think he is?’ Brazil fans turn on Raphinha over Ancelotti comments

Raphinha has faced a backlash from a section of Brazil supporters after suggesting Carlo Ancelotti would need to manage his playing time for the national team.

The Barcelona forward made the remarks before the international break, saying his involvement should be carefully controlled if Ancelotti genuinely relied on him.

“If coach Carlo Ancelotti really depends on me, he knows that he has to manage my minutes,” Raphinha said.

“I think that, as a coach, he knows how to do that manage my minutes. We have spoken about this.”

According to Tribuna, the comments were poorly received by a significant number of Brazil fans on social media. Some accused Raphinha of losing his sense of national duty and prioritising Barcelona over the national team.

The criticism has been influenced by events in September, when Raphinha travelled thousands of kilometres to represent Brazil for more than 160 minutes across two friendlies against India and Australia. He returned to Barcelona with a muscle injury and was sidelined for about three weeks.

Supporters now believe his latest comments about Ancelotti show that he no longer values playing for Brazil in the same way.

One fan wrote: “Who does he think he is to dictate terms to a coach of Ancelotti’s stature?”

Another said: “You wear the Brazil shirt with pride and play whenever you are called up. It is as simple as that.”

A third described Raphinha’s attitude as “shameful from a player who has not yet achieved anything important with the national team”.

Another supporter added: “If he wants to rest so badly, he should stay in Barcelona and leave the place in the squad to someone who genuinely cares about the national team.”

A fifth fan said: “Imagine having the audacity to tell Carlo Ancelotti publicly how to manage the national-team squad. He plays 60 minutes for his club and suddenly thinks he is the highest authority in the national-team hierarchy.”

A sixth criticised what they called the “out-of-control levels” of selfishness and entitlement in Brazilian football, saying there was now “a complete lack of respect for the national-team shirt”.

Since returning to Barcelona after his latest Brazil injury, Raphinha has played in five matches. He has not completed 90 minutes in any of them, with Hansi Flick managing his workload, but he has scored three goals during that run.

Overall, Raphinha has scored 19 goals and provided three assists in 13 appearances in all competitions this season.