{"id":51601,"date":"2026-05-10T12:19:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T06:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/?p=51601"},"modified":"2026-05-10T12:19:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T06:49:38","slug":"raphinha-on-right-wing-role-im-not-lamine-yamal-humble-message-amid-barcelonas-title-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/football\/raphinha-on-right-wing-role-im-not-lamine-yamal-humble-message-amid-barcelonas-title-push\/","title":{"rendered":"Raphinha on right wing role: \u201cI\u2019m Not Lamine Yamal\u201d \u2013 humble message amid Barcelona\u2019s title push"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a heartfelt and realistic interview ahead of a crucial El Cl\u00e1sico, FC Barcelona winger <b>Raphinha addressed his shift to the right wing<\/b> following Lamine Yamal\u2019s season-ending hamstring injury. The Brazilian star emphasized comfort in the new position while setting clear expectations.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<b>I\u2019m comfortable with playing on the right side\u2026 Yes<\/b>,\u201d Raphinha told reporters. \u201c<b>But obviously, if I play there on the right wing, fans shouldn\u2019t expect anything special because I\u2019m NOT Lamine Yamal.<\/b>\u201d He added praise for his teammate: \u201c<b>Lamine is a star and I\u2019ll give my best as always in whatever position I play. But do not expect from me something like Lamine Yamal<\/b>.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Context of the Shift<\/h3>\n<p>Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation widely regarded as one of world football\u2019s brightest prospects, suffered a hamstring injury in late April 2026. It has ruled him out for the remainder of the 2025-26 La Liga and European campaigns, though he is targeting fitness for the 2026 World Cup with Spain.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>With Barcelona leading the La Liga table and eyeing a potential title-clinching result against Real Madrid, Hansi Flick\u2019s side needs Raphinha to step up. The 29-year-old, typically deployed on the left, has shown versatility throughout his Barcelona career, contributing significantly with goals and assists in recent seasons.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Team Spirit and Leadership<\/h3>\n<p>Raphinha\u2019s comments reflect the strong squad harmony at Barcelona. The pair have consistently shown mutual respect, with Raphinha previously calling competition with Yamal an \u201chonour\u201d and praising the youngster\u2019s talent. His humble approach highlights maturity and team-first mentality as Barcelona pushes for silverware.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Fans and analysts see this as a key test for Raphinha\u2019s adaptability under Flick\u2019s fluid system. While no one can fully replicate Yamal\u2019s dribbling magic and fearlessness, Raphinha\u2019s work rate, crossing, and finishing make him a reliable option on either flank.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>As the season enters its decisive phase, Raphinha\u2019s willingness to embrace any role underscores why he remains a vital leader in the dressing room. Barcelona supporters will be hoping his best effort helps secure vital points in Yamal\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a heartfelt and realistic interview ahead of a crucial El Cl\u00e1sico, FC Barcelona winger Raphinha addressed his shift to\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":502,"featured_media":51602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[3738,3356,4057],"class_list":["post-51601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-lamine-yamal","tag-raphinha","tag-top-stories"],"reading_time":"2 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/502"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51601"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51603,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51601\/revisions\/51603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}