Rafinha blames Niko Kovač for departure of several key Bayern stars | OneFootball

Former Bayern defender Rafinha, who is currently plying his trade with Flamengo, has called on the Bavarians to hold onto his compatriot Philippe Coutinho.

Coutinho, currently on loan from Barcelona, hasn’t been the most consistent player in the Bayern squad but has put up some fantastic numbers in the Bundesliga: eight goals and six assists in just 21 games.

Should Bayern want to keep him, they’ll have to activate their reported €120m purchase option or convince Barcelona to lower their price.

Though the 27-year-old has struggled at times, Rafinha believes that Coutinho has needed time to adapt to his surroundings and is still capable of reaching his past levels.

“Philippe is a super player. I hope that Bayern signs him after the season. Bayern needs a Brazilian on the team!

“He’s a world-class player who can make the difference. It’s normal that he has had difficulties in the beginning in his new home. I hope that he can still show his real level.”

Rafinha also revealed that former Bayern boss Niko Kovač blocked a potential move to Bayer Leverkusen and pointed to the Croatian as the reason why so many big names left the club.

“It was a difficult phase with Niko Kovač. Before the 2018/19 season, I asked him to be released because I had an offer from Bayer Leverkusen.

“He said, ‘No, please stay! I need you!’. In the Rückrunde, though, I hardly got any minutes.

“I have respect for Kovač but I’ll tell you: if his manner had been different, then we’d potentially all still be there: Arjen Robben, Franck Ribéry, James, Mats Hummels, Renato Sanches, Arturo Vidal, and me.”

Niko Kovač is currently taking time off from management but ‘expects’ to have a new job this summer.