Hansi Flick pulled back the curtain on a viral exchange between himself and Raphinha on Saturday afternoon, revealing the Brazilian was assuring him Barcelona will be “much better” in their upcoming matches.
The Catalans dispatched Alavés 3–1 at the Camp Nou to close out their November slate, momentarily going top of La Liga with 34 points from 14 matches. The win was a much-needed bounce back for Barcelona after they suffered a midweek 3–0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League.
Yet even though Flick’s men collected three points at the weekend, they still looked subpar from their championship-winning form of last season, prompting Raphinha to have a one-on-one talk with the German boss following the final whistle.
Images and video emerged of the two engaged in an emotional exchange on the bench, with Flick shaking his head and then remaining on the bench in silence long after Raphinha left.
Raphinha and Flick ❤️pic.twitter.com/xDoNVBVFWh
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) November 29, 2025
“After the final whistle, Raphinha told me the same thing as last time: ‘We’re going to improve. We’ll be much better in the next few matches,’” Flick revealed.
Barcelona conceded inside of 60 seconds against Alavés, needing yet another comeback to snatch three points in La Liga. An equalizer from Lamine Yamal and a brace from Dani Olmo lifted the Catalans to victory, but concern surrounding the Spanish champions’ defense remains.
Raphinha: Barcelona Must ‘Improve a Lot’
Raphinha did not hesitate to acknowledge Barcelona’s early shortcomings in his postgame interview, siding with his manager, who declared his men do not have “the control or the intensity of last season.”
“The manager felt we could do much more on the pitch, and we also know we can do much better. His feeling is that the team isn’t playing at its best, and I agree,” Raphinha said.
“We have to improve a lot, but even so, I think the most important thing today was to come away with the win. We have time to fix the things we’re doing wrong, and I’m sure we’ll get back to our best. We’ll win by playing well, but if there are games where we play badly, I don’t care; the important thing is to win.”
The Catalans will hope to “get back to their best” sooner rather than later, with Atlético Madrid making the trip to the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Four days later, Barcelona are headed to Sevilla to take on a challenging Real Betis side.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hansi Flick, Raphinha Explain Concerning Barcelona Postgame Images.
