Barcelona winger reveals he considered quitting football – ‘I thought about giving up’ | OneFootball

Barcelona winger Raphinha has bravely opened up about his mental health struggles, revealing he considered quitting football due to personal and professional pressures.

In an emotional conversation with teammates acting as journalists, Raphinha became visibly emotional when discussing a difficult period in his career.

Raphinha’s confession

The Brazilian international even revealed that he was close to quitting football, but found his only motivation in the form of his son.

“Recently, I thought about leaving football due to personal and professional problems,” Raphinha confessed (h/t MARCA).

Formerly of Leeds United, Raphinha joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022. Since then, the forward has featured in 87 competitive matches, racking up 20 goals and 25 assists.

Raphinha will represent Brazil in Copa America (Photo by GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Raphinha, though, has faced criticism for not being able to perform to his potential at Barcelona. He is, in fact, one of the players in contention to leave the club in the summer.

Talking about his mental health, Raphinha discussed media criticism, adding, “I thought about giving up. I already had my life on track and I didn’t need to go through some psychological problems or the aggression of the media, of the fans.”

Raphinha became overwhelmed with emotion when he started talking about his son and had to pause for a few moments in order to catch his breath.

“Now I have the strength of my son who can see me as an inspiration,” he said. “Being a reference for him is already worth a lot to me. For my son to grow up and see his father play football representing big clubs is a motivation.”

Raphinha’s statements come just before the start of Copa America, where he is expected to crucial role as Brazil look to reclaim the coveted tournament.

Barcelona will be hoping the forward does well in Copa America, as it could not only boost his confidence but also skyrocket his market value.