Rivaldo approves Barcelona’s pursuit of Premier League forward, praises club captain | OneFootball

There has been much discussion in European football in the wake of Barcelona’s entertaining 5-4 win over SL Benfica in the UEFA Champions League.

Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was the subject of much controversy as many believed that he gave multiple decisions in favour of Barcelona.

But in a recent interview, Barcelona club legend Rivaldo has come out in strong support of referees following the intense criticism aimed at referee Makkelie.

Rivaldo on refereeing decisions

Rivaldo was clear in his defence of the officiating team. “It is too serious to insinuate that a team is helped by the referees,” he said (h/t SPORT).

Rivaldo added that he was never in favour of VAR as it adds complexity to the game of football.

“Errors have existed since my time and, despite the VAR, they continue to occur. I was always against the VAR, because, although at times it helps, at others it complicates the game, and in the end, the errors will continue,” he said.

Acknowledging the reaction at the referee after the match, Rivaldo said, “Complaints are normal. When the referee or the VAR makes a mistake, or there is a doubtful play, the benefited team will never say anything, while the other will always complain.

“It will always happen that there is a sequence of errors that favour any team, be it Real Madrid, be it Barcelona. They are part of football and refereeing.”

Rivaldo on Barcelona’s pursuit of Rashford

Rivaldo went on to offer two cents on Barcelona’s ongoing pursuit of Marcus Rashford, which has gotten complicated due to the club’s financial woes.

Barcelona are interested in Rashford. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

“I think he would have a place in this team, because, apart from being a great player, Barcelona has a schedule with many matches ahead and that would help him have opportunities. Rashford surely knows that,” he said.

“An arrival like Rashford can only be positive because it helps the coach to build a better team and gives him more options to choose from among those alternatives to put on the field,” he added.

Rivaldo on Raphinha

Aside from the refereeing decisions that were in focus during the Barcelona vs Benfica game, Rivaldo also offered his thoughts on Raphinha, who bagged two goals on the night.

“Raphinha is building that image of a leader for the Brazilian National Team. He is already the captain at Barcelona, a crucial player in the team, and has been playing very well, with personality, which will help him a lot in the National Team,” he said.

“Having a player who acts with so much confidence will be wonderful for Brazil, especially in the World Cup.

“If Brazil counts on him, with Vini, who always performs well, with Neymar, who can return in good shape, and with Rodrygo, they will have a very strong attack,” he added.

He also highlighted Raphinha and Lamine Yamal as the current best players in the world, likely contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or alongside the likes of Vinicius Jr., Mohamed Salah, and Jude Bellingham.

Rivaldo on the title race

Thanks to the recent draw with Getafe, Barcelona have now lost significant ground in the race for the league title.

In the wake of recent results, Rivaldo warned that Barcelona must now focus entirely on La Liga.

“Now Flick and the team must focus on La Liga. No doubt the coach will appreciate that the schedule changes with the team already qualified for the Round of 16 and can work on achieving the title in their league,” the Brazilian said.

“The team has peace to better plan what remains of the course. The fact of being second in the Champions League group stage and having the calm of qualification gives them more leeway,” he concluded.